A Delicate Covenant
by BishoujoJade
Summary: Prince Charming's world isn't always so perfect. Updated Chapter 15! Love is grand isn't it?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I'm back at it again! I love tinkering with Ranma and Akane....they are so pliable, yet so....hmm..something. They are fun! I was inspired by a million things to write this! I hope you enjoy!! **

A Delicate Covenant

_"Love looks not with the eyes but with the mind."_

Helena ~A Midsummer Night's Dream

The clock ticked with each passing second, simultaneously matching the tick forming on the face of the woman who sat, her form an agitated heap of frustration and near despair. Akane glared at her computer screen. And glared. And glared. The same error message had been plaguing her monitor for the last thirty minutes and she was absolutely at a lost as to what to do. This would be a manageable situation any other time. She'd just call down to the IT department, and with whatever kind of magistical wonders those brainiacs possessed, they would with with two clicks here and a _whatever_ they do there instantly solve her problems. But at the current moment, she was a proverbial damsel in distress. It was 8 o'clock and her team of nerdy knights in armor were long gone, leaving her to gaze at her computer screen in dumbfound surrender...and contempt.

She balled up her fist menacingly at the screen, slowly extending out her middle finger, but stopped midpoint. No need to anger the computer Kami for her ungraceful ignorance in the world of computers. She had a presentation due in the morning. A very big _huge_ presentation. One her career depended on. One she had sacrificed every evening for the last three months for. One that seemed to be only a click away, if the confounded error message would just go away. In a burst of energy she didn't' know she still had left, she pushed herself away from her computer. "Mangy piece of shit." she muttered as she raked a hand through her hair.

Inhaling and sighing, she took a look around at her office from her crumpled position. In a company as big as Taichou, having your own office was definitely a sign of accomplishment. It was big and roomy, richly decorated in solid woods and a floral motif that she adored. Even when she was in her small, cramped cubicle as an intern and then as an entry level employee, she always was surrounded by flowers. The frame that held her degree even had flowers etched into it. Orchids to be precise. She enjoyed the solitude, the privacy and status that came with the office. But with that privacy, came a sense of detachment from her coworkers. Ever since her promotion, she'd seen friends turn into colleagues and relationships that she'd built as an intern, dwindle into the wind. But with power comes responsibility. Or whatever philosophical mumbo jumbo she'd created to make up for the absence of amity she'd grown accustomed to at work.

"Coffee. Must find...coffee." Admitting defeat for the time being, she swung her office chair sideways and slowly raised to her feet. Taking one last glance at her monitor hoping the error message would have ka'putted itself out of existence, she snarled at its stubborn refusal to die and stomped towards her door. She wadded barefoot through the office hallways. No one was there, not a soul to chastise her for her disruption of social normality. Passing a mirror in the hallways, she noticed her appearance. Her long hair was slung into a sloppy bun, tendrils of blue black framing her face and caressing the back of her neck. Her silk voile blouse was pulled carelessly out of her skirt and her stockings long abandoned in a corner of her office. With a giggle she shrugged and turned to walk away. "Ninomiya-san would _kill_ me if she were to see me like this."

"Well, it's a good thing that Ninomiya-san isn't here, wouldn't you say?"

Akane shrieked, and whipped around, grabbing the nearest object she could find. When she about faced, she came eye to chest to the person who had scared her witless. Quickly taking a step back, she gulped when she felt her back run into the wall she was just facing. Without a second's hesitation she raised the object in her hand to her attacker's face.

A stapler. She groaned inwardly, and felt her cheeks grow hot in embarrassment. _Heir to a dojo and THIS is how I react? Dad would not be pleased. _As she was lost in her thoughts, the hand belonging to the "attacker" raised and smoothly pushed the stapler out of his face. Akane slowly raised her head up, her free hand balling into a fist at her sides. She should be the only one here, but the man that stood in front of her had on a business collared shirt, slacks and the badge from his key chain had the Taichou insignia on it. By the time her eyes landed on his face, the combination of apprehension and near death fright he had given her, had her shaded red as an apple.

Instant realization dawned on her, and her earlier inward groan grew in volume, enough to make it out of her thoughts, pass her lips and out into the open..

Saotome. Ranma Saotome.

She never knew his position, never knew what his purpose was in the company. He was new, only having been hired a mere six months ago. And although she knew nothing about him, she knew everything about about him...physically. Hair, the color of her darkest most sensual dreams, that boyishly fell over his dark blue orbs, smooth tanned exotic looking skin, and a grin that was to die for. Take that back. To kill for. Why she had never approached him, she couldn't tell you. She had no idea why every time he approached her in the hallways or the break room, she'd blush like a teenager and make up some excuse to rush out of the area.

She would find herself after observation, picking more feminine things to wear. Skirts instead of slacks, or she would let her hair loose, letting it flow and cascade down her back instead of the very neat and sensible buns she had worn to work for years. By the time she realized how attracted she was to the man, that she'd developed some kind of high school crush on him, she knew there was no way to back out of it. She had been making a fool of herself for months over his very appearance. She had vowed to try something, anything, to stop the madness. Her heart beating as if he had come to work bare chested and waiting, just for her...THAT had to stop. So she altered her paths, changed up what time she went to lunch, all in hopes of avoiding him. Only to end up nearly attacking him with office equipment.

But there was no avoiding him now, how precariously close he was at the moment, how she could feel how he warmed her as his inhaled and exhaled breaths flushed over her skin. Suddenly and slowly at the same time she saw his hand rise from his side, reach across the modest space between them to push the hair that had fallen from her sloppy bun out of her face. His hand paused there for one brief second, then took a lingering spiral, his knuckles now caressing the soft skin of her face. Closing the space between them, he slid his hand around to the back of her neck, kneading the skin he found there. She, in turn wanted to reach up to touch him, but something heavy was weighing her hand down....when she realized she was still holding the stapler.

She blinked once. Twice. Three times, then only realizing that Ranma had not moved from his spot, and neither had she.

So wrapped up in her own thoughts, her rampant fantasies, she'd managed to not hear a single word coming from his lips. Shaking her head, she painfully dragged her gaze from his lips...right to his nose, finding it the only suitable place she could look at without looking like someone had kicked the thermostat up to high hell.

"What...what did you...say?" Akane's glance was immediately drawn back down to his lips, as they quirked up in that irresistible smirk only he could make so damn handsome.

"I said, if you're going to stay behind and work by yourself, you should try something a little more menacing, than a stapler. Or was there something I missed in those mandatory self defense classes?" Ranma crossed his arms in front of his chest, laughter playing in his eyes and shortly after on his lips.

Akane eyes ventured back down the stapler in question, and visibly slumped even farther down the wall. _Smooth Tendou. So classically smooth_. "I..I-I"

A glint of teeth was shown as Ranma's quirky smirk inched further up his cheek, seemingly reveling in the flustered woman who stood before him. He took into account that he had startled her, but her response was so uproarious and he found himself in no rush to leave the obviously discomposed but mildly captivating woman to her own devices. He crossed his arms in front of his chest, waiting for her to stop tripping over herself and speak.

Upon seeing _that_ smirk played across his face at her benefit, Akane quickly gained her bearings and snapped out of the infatuated haze she was trapped in. _Who does this little punk think he is? _

Stomping one bare foot on the carpeted floor, she fixed her gaze on him and pointed her finger squarely right between his eyes.

"Well, for starters Mr....Mr..." Ranma raised his hand to remove her fingers from his face, but never released it, choosing instead to caress the soft skin there. Only to infuriate her more. And it worked as he smirked as she shaded an impossibly deeper red at his antics.

"Ranma Saotome."

"Whatever!" Akane bellowed, snatching her hand back. " I don't think it's THAT funny for you to startle people when they have their back turned to you...and what are you doing here, I thought that I was the only one still authorized to be here...you know you should check in with someone if you're gonna...."

Akane was cut off as she was suddenly looking at his back as he strode away in the direction towards her office. As he approached the door with her name on it, he turned the knob. "Rude! Hey! I'm still talking to you! And what do you think you're doing! Get away from my office!"

"Ms. Tendo. You may or may not know since you spend all of your time either fleeing the area when I'm around or locked in this cell block you call an office..." He paused for dramatic effect and to chuckle under his breath at his presumably correct assertions about her. "...but I'm the supervising chair for the IT department. I received an automated email from your unit, indicating an error. I didn't think anyone was here, so I came up to investigate. But if you don't want me to look at your computer...." And with that he removed his hand from her doorknob and began to walk back towards her.

Akane blinked slowly, and in the next instance was down the hall right behind him. Close enough to smell his cologne and had to resist the urge to inhale deeply. _Yeah, be as creepy as possible Akane. SNAP out of it. You are not fifteen years old. _Grabbing his wrist in a death grip, she ignored his raised eyebrow as she swung the door open, dragging him in behind her. Circling around him, she then with more force than gentleness, pushed him towards her computer, shoving him into the seat.

"Excuse my rudeness, Mr. Saotome, please PLEASE PLEAAASE take a look. All I need to do is save the final draft. I really need your help, you see. I have the Doulcher account to present to the Kunoji-san and the board in the morning. And if you could JUST get that stupid error message to go away, you'd be worth your weight in gold." Standing directly behind his seated form, she reached over his shoulder and jutted her finger out towards her screen at the error message. Smiling focused on the screen and began typing furiously on her keyboard, accessing the issue at breakneck speed.

Ranma paused for a minute. With her standing so close, he caught a whiff of her scent. _She smells good too?_

Snapping back to, Ranma focused on what she had said. "Doulcher? As in _THE_ Doulcher? As in the top advertising company is the United States?" Ranma stopped mid keystroke and looked up at her. Akane smiled proudly at the awe in his voice, her chin tilting upward by slight measure.

"Yes, Doulcher wants to branch with Taichou to bring our software over to the United States. So far our program is still relatively new outside of Japan, and Doulcher wants to help us get our name into American households."

"...And they gave it to you?" Ranma snorted and continued to tap tap his way across her keyboard. It was only seconds later when he could feel the hair raising off the back of his neck and his skin prickled as if someone had released a blast of static electricity into the room. He froze and it was then he could feel that the weird sensation was coming from behind him. Whipping around in the chair, he could see a large tick forming under Akane's eye, her lips pressed into a very thin line and her eyes locked onto his form.

"Yes. They gave it to me. Vice_ President _of Public Relations for Taichou Enterprises. The only other person _qualified _to take on the job would be Youku-san, and she's not here." Ice punctuated Akane's voice as lowered her face directly in front of his. "Now if you could kindly fix my damn computer so I can go home, it would be greatly appreciated."

The tension in the room was thick as butter, with Akane glaring into Ranma's soul and Ranma looking as if he'd seen the devil with his own two eyes, until the mask of anger lifted off Akane's face and without word, kindly turned Ranma's chair back forward.

"You know, you're cute when you're mad. Your face gets all red and your eyes kind of sparkle like _tiny tiny_ fireworks are going off behind them....."

Ranma was no glutton for punishment and figured he was too close to the tiger's claws to take this any further. But _oh_ did he love riling her up. He noticed her. He always did. He had noticed her from the first day he took up the position of IT chair. And the first thing he made out was her very sensible bun. To him it screamed...well sensibility. His previous encounters with women had led him to believe they were all bird brains or even worse, creepy crawler harpies with their thousands and thousands of hands reaching out, trying to grab and claim anything they could get their hands on. Quick to spurt off bouts of love and commitment without even knowing him.

That's why she caught his eye. No, it wasn't love at first sight it wasn't love at all. It was definitely attraction, but aside from that, he respected her. And with that respect came observation. After a couple of months at Taichou, he noticed that she took her lunch break around the same time he did, so one afternoon, he turned and smiled at her as they approached the elevator. He honestly hadn't expected the reaction he received.

He knew she was had recently been promoted to Vice Chair of the Public Relations department, and that she had graduated with honors with a dual degree in both Graphic Design and Mass Communications from some fancy smancy school. That, mind you, she paid for out of her own pocket. Wow. He knew she was a workaholic, as she spent most of her time pent up in her office, either on the phone, or doing some conceptual design for the company. He also knew that for the last couple of months she had stayed behind while they clocked out and headed to their respective homes. Like he said. He noticed her. A lot.

He expected for her to smile back and then go about her day. What he received was an almost inaudible squeak and her retreating figure as she quickly turned on her heels and headed for the stairs. That confused him greatly. So much that when he told Ryoga, his best friend, he had to walk away from him to save face. Ryoga in between gasps of breath educated Ranma that he was "losing his touch".

A few weeks later, as he sat in the break room, he saw her smiling face round the corner. He smiled and waved to her in the friendliest manner he could muster. His confusion mounted as her smile disappeared, she lowered her head and turned to walk out. _Do I have something in my teeth? Does my breath stink. Better yet, she's acting like a teenager with a cru...._

Realization dawned on him at that moment. Did Akane Tendo, his walking sense and sensibility, have a crush on him? The thought alone made him laugh, but for the next few months, he decided to test his theory. He would go out of his way to speak, wave, smile, ANYTHING that would normally force a response out of any other normal person. But all he got in return was the color draining from her face (or to her face) and her marching off in the opposite direction. _Yes. Crush...or a terrible paranoia of technical gurus confirmed. _

And that's how he found himself, checking on an error message coming from her computer and apparently scaring her into her next lifetime. Not that he had meant to do that, he really wasn't supposed to be there. But it was end of month, and a supervisor has his duties. He, although, couldn't' say he didn't enjoy the flush of her skin in the wake of his actions.

He slowly lifted his hands in a placating gesture of innocence and backed away from her before she bit his head off whole. "I'm done, Ms. Tendo. I took the liberty of saving it for you." He lifted up a small flash port. "I also saved a copy here, so that you can review it before your "big" day tomorrow." With that he flashed a mega-bright smile, leaned back in her office chair and crossed his feet, basking in the glory of being, well freaking awesome.

Akane looked up from his face, towards her monitor. The bright red error message was gone. She glanced down at the flash port in his hands. She smiled a brilliant smile in return. "And to think, thirty seconds ago I was thinking on how I was going to kill you and where I could hide the body."

The smile dropped from Ranma's face as he stared at the easy going smile splayed across her face. The smile fooled him none, she was probably serious as a heart attack. _Sense and sensibility, my ass_. "Whatever." Ranma straightened up in the chair. "You all done here? Lock up. I think I should treat you to a cup of coffee and a bagel, for all your hard work here at Taichou." Then Ranma looked behind Akane. "Although...by the looks of your ass, you should probably lay off the bagels."

He thought he heard her growl and wanted to chuckle, but suppressed it. She was too much fun. She turned on him in a flash, and with strength he probably wasn't accustomed to females having, grabbed a handful of his shirt and yanked him out of her chair. "Keep your eyes off my ass, or I'll pluck them out for you. Then you don't have to worry about how many bagels I eat, got it buddy?" With that she unceremoniously let go of his shirt, and laughed as he stared at her slack jawed.

Yes. Way too much fun.

"Soooooorry. You sure are touchy. Look. At least let me walk you to your car. I mean...you don't have your stapler. So I don't want you to get hurt." Ranma's quick thinking and even quicker feet was the only thing that saved him from a backhanded slap Akane was going to deliver just for him. And then the growl was confirmed. _She does growl. How cute. _

"Just this once. This very once, seeing how we are such _great _new friends. I'll let you walk me to my car." Akane spent the next few moments gathering all her things up, making sure everything was set for the presentation and headed off towards the elevator. "There isn't anything you should be...you know...shutting down or turning off down in your department is there?

Ranma pressed the elevator down button and turned towards her. "Nope, did all that before I came to save the day up here. Everything's locked up." As the elevator doors open, he smacked his head. "Except ONE thing. Dammit. Good thing they put us up one flight up above the parking deck." Stepping inside he pressed the button for his floor and turned towards her again. "You don't mind do you? It should only take a minute. I need to shut the server down so it can backup for tomorrow."

Akane made a throwaway gesture and leaned against the cool metal of the elevator walls. It had been a very long and tiring day. Another minute out of her time wouldn't make a difference. All she wanted to do was get out of these clothes, into a nice warm bath, and away from the object of her desires. She learned something new today. He could light her fire...and piss her the hell off in the same instance. She just needed to establish her boundaries with him, because the amount of times she turned the color of cherry blossoms today couldn't be healthy for her pride.

Although she must say, being this close to him completely destroyed her previous fantasies but promised that any future fantasies she was bound to have would grow exponentially after tonight. His trail of hair would have made anyone else look foolish and immature, but the pigtail that rested on his well defined shoulder made him twice as cute. He had a penchant for keeping his hands stuffed in his pocket, in the indescribably but concupiscence way that drew attention to his nice firm bu...

The ding of the elevator once again drew Akane out of the inescapable fantasies she was having about Ranma. She followed him as he paced down a long hallway. Running lengthwise down both sides were ceiling to floor glass windows and behind them were several computer stations, ropes of wires wrapped around poles, all leading to a seemingly gigantic blinking server on the opposite ends of the rooms. _Wow. Impressive. I've never been down here before...not that I had a reason to..._

Finally they reached Ranma's office. It was nicely decorated, and by that, very simple. He had his desk, his computer, with paper work neatly piled in a stack. His degree stood proudly on the far wall by itself in a simple conservative frame. Hundreds of books lined the ceiling height book case that was erected right behind his desk and a small plant stood in the corner of his room with an artificial light placed on it. Quaint. Obviously a well matched surrounding for the otherwise smooth but sprightly countenance of his.

Ranma rounded on his desk, taking a key out he reached into a safe that was concealed behind a row of books and removed a manilla enveloped sealed with red tape at the top.

Akane smirked. "You think its wise to show a relative stranger your "secret" hide space?" He looked over his shoulder as he closed the door to the tiny safe. "I trust you. Any woman that follows a nerd into his office in the middle of the night, looking as good as you do right now, can't be _that_ untrustworthy." He winked at her then turned to his computer, pressed a couple of buttons and in the background the sound of mechanism going off signaled the server powering down.

"Alright! All done. Now before we were so rudely interrupted by my detour, we were headed to your car, as you were in need of my protection." Ranma held out his arm in a grandiose expression and then lifted his eyebrows twice, his eye twinkling.

Akane rolled her eyes heavenward, crossed her arms and began to tap her delicately heeled foot. "Let's go moron. It's amazing that I've known you for all of maybe an hour and you've managed to get on my nerves enough times for it be illegal." She slapped at his arm, walked past him and back into the hallway. Ranma quickly followed as the paced they long hallway and rode the elevator down to the parking deck. As the doors opened, Ranma turned to Akane.

"So which way is your car?" Akane pointed to the far side of the deck and began walking. Ranma let her walk a couple of paces in front of him, obviously enjoying a view that he had grown accustomed too, after watching her walk in the opposite direction many times before. "A-ka-ne. I have a question." Never breaking her stride, she turned her head slightly towards him her eyes narrowing. "Don't call me that".

He looked just over her shoulder as a sudden blare of light caused him to squint. Abruptly a screeching tires against pavement sound filled the garage and the next thing Akane felt was her body as it hit the pavement. Expect the pavement was soft and surprisingly, sinewy. She looked up trying to acclimate herself with what just happened, when she felt Ranma body tense, the arms he had wrapped securely around her waist tighten. She closed her eyes, the adrenaline rushing through her body was making her head feel light. The screeching sound continued until the sound faded as the car made its way out of the garage.

"Shhhh....don't....move." Ranma's attentions were snapped to the sounds of the parking deck. He was sure he'd seen what he'd seen and it was only his quick reactions that saved him and Akane. But he realized it was imperative to get her away from him. Without notice, he rolled hard to his right, bringing Akane under him, effectively shielding her while he thought of the next step. He had an idea of what was going on, glancing down at the envelope still tucked in his shirt pocket. He never thought about her reaction, he was thinking on pure instincts at the moment.

Akane didn't know what was going on. She had no idea why Ranma dragged her to ground other than a car had nearly missed them. But the car had passed so why was he now hovering over her, the look of danger still in his eyes. "Ranma?" She called out. He looked down at her, bewildered to why she would call his name. Then he looked down at himself, plastered up against her. He cocked his head to the side and smirked. _What exactly does she think I'm doing? _Shaking his head, he listened for another second before hauling himself up with Akane still in his arms.

"Stop looking at me like that. I saved your life, you know. I think I should get more gratitude than your testy attitude flowing off of you in waves." Ranma backed up, releasing Akane. He took another moment to look around the nearly empty parking garage. Seeing nothing he grabbed Akane's wrist and gunned across the parking lot towards where Akane said her car was. "Let me get you to your car... quickly."

"So you are just going to shovel me off, and not explain? What are you thinking Ranma? Do you think that was more than an accident? Explain how it looks like the color has drained from your face. Explain to me why in the middle of January, you are sweating...." When he didn't answer and continued to drag her tactlessly through the garage, she dug her heels into the ground, effectively stopping both of them. "ANSWER ME!"

He whipped around fiercely to face her. Akane took a step back,not used to seeing such anger played across his face. "Just get to your damn car! Stop worrying about things that don't concern you." Impatiently he looked around in the direction they were walking. "Where the _hell _is your car?"

Akane's eyes withered to slits across her face, her mouth set in a scowl. She just wanted to know what was going on. Was she in danger? Why couldn't he just answer her questions. She impetuously began searching through her purse for her keys. Upon finding them, she turned in the general direction of her vehicle and pressed the auto start button.

"Fine! I never asked to come down here with you in the first place! Do whatever you want. Hope everything works out real fucking fine for you." She spun on her heels, her now broken stiletto pumps fisted in her hand. He watched as she walked away. He barely cared that she was upset. Anything to keep her from getting involved with these issues. She didn't belong in this world. She was too frail and too fragile, to be drug under with him and this mess.

He spotted her car when she lifted her remote to unlock the door, the rear end lights blinking. At that exact moment, Ranma noticed something terribly wrong. There was another blinking light directly under the drive side door. His heart lurched at realizing what was about to happen.

"AKANE!!! Stop! Come back! Your car! " He took off after her, praying that she'd stop and listen to him. When he received the middle finger from her instead of her cooperation, he groaned and quicken his pace to an all out sprint.

Akane soon approached her car when the breath was knocked from her body. Seconds later her bones jarred as her body hit the pavement for the second time in a matter of minutes. Her eyes grew to the size of saucers as she struggled to regain her breath, fury turning her blood cold. She had managed to meet a complete nut job, one that she was fiercely attracted to, one she didn't want to leave to his own devices because she gathered she cared. But there were few excuses for him tackling her for actually _listening_ to him and following his directions. Was he completely detached and deranged?

She had opened her mouth to verbally flatten him, when she felt a sudden heat nip at her from all sides then draw all around her and in the next second she heard the deafening blast. The vacuum from the blast consumed the last measure of air breath and her eyes slid closed.

**A/N: Whoooa! I'm writing action and adventure! *LAUGHS* Lets see how this turns out! Heh Heh Heh.....**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I'm back! Oh quick note. Thoughts are italicized. Also used for normal emphasis, but you guys are brilliant. I'm probably just talking for the sake of hearing my own voice echo in my head...head...head...**

**Oh and sorry for those who had an alert on my first chapter :-) I had to edit and replace a small character that you won't even notice...anyways...Enjoy! **

A Delicate Covenant : Chapter Two.

_To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,_

_Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,_

_To the last syllable of recorded time;_

-MacBeth

The only thing he could think of was getting to her. She was so close to her car. So precariously close. The dread surrounded him, leaving him as breathless as the pitch fever sprint he was engaging in. _Please legs move faster! _He caught her just as she reached out for her door handle, a few precious seconds from opening the door, leading to whatever bane outcome was at hand. He took no time to stop and think, he just launched himself at her. When they came to a stop, thinking that he had outwitted disaster, the car exploded anyways, the secondary fail-safe mechanism activating when she had previously started her engine.

The heat was almost unbearable to his system, heating up the air around him, stealing his breath away. But nothing was more painful then seeing the horror play in Akane's eyes as she realized what had happened. He was saved further pain when she fainted away a few seconds later. Once the flames from the explosion went off, the blaring noise of the other car alarms caused by flying shrapnel and the shock wave, grabbed his attention. Above the noise he could hear the approaching sirens of police vehicles and most likely an ambulance.

He shifted to his right, taking his weight off of the woman below him. He checked her for any harm, and other than being scared to death, she looked fine. He took a quick survey, making sure no remaining danger could surprise him and lifted himself to his knees, his arms shaking from the energy it took. _What in the hell..._

At that exact moment, a car rounded into the parking deck, setting Ranma back on high alert. He was in no shape to defend himself or Akane, but he would try anyways. As quickly as he could managed, he climbed to his feet, wrapping an arm around his left side. The car speed towards him, and if he could just attract enough attention to himself, maybe the would forget that Akane was lying there, giving her a chance to escape...if she ever woke up.

Bracing himself, he reached down and grabbed a piece of steel that was lying nearby, an marred piece of her luxury car that was no more than debris at this point.. He lifted his only weapon over his head, ready to heave it at the window of the approaching car, when the car stopped short of him. The door swung open and a figure jumped up out of the driver's seat.

"I knew it, I knew it, I knew it! I knew I should have never let you out of my sight! Your father is going to have my head on a nice shiny silver platter, for leaving you to your own devices. Even worse! He may demote me! I'll have your head if they put me back on sentry duty. Shit!"

Ranma recognized the voice instantly, enough to make him drop the steel, and squint his eyes against his fleeting energy.

"Ryoga?"

"Yes you damnable fool! Who else would be there to save your ass?" Ryoga slammed the door shut, running to his friend's side. He quickly shouldered under Ranma, taking the weight off his legs after seeing him favor his right ankle. "I don't even want to know what happened. I'm just getting you out of here before the authorities make an appearance, and we have to explain all of _this_. C'mon, lets go."

Ranma wanted to shake his head, but found himself to drained to do so. "How...I thought I told you to stay at your apartment! I am more than qualified to take care of myself Ryoga! What...why are you here?"

Ryoga resisted the urge to roll his eyes and drop Ranma where he stood. "Shut 'yer trap. Regardless of what you tell me to do, sir, I am not exactly bound to your command here. I have a job to do, since you made _that _decision, those months ago. I've been following you to work from jump. The only...ONLY reason I wasn't here whenever .." Ryoga gestured angrily to his surroundings, " _this_ bullshit went down was I was chasing the car that tried to run you over the first time."

Sputtering, Ranma's eyes the size of saucers just started at his friend. _Amazing. Nobody ever listens to me. But his hardheadedness was in my favor today. I should thank him, but I won't. Not with him ranting and raving like a damn fool. _"You probably got lost, is what happened. Look, I don't have the strength for this. Please, help Akane to the car." Ranma looked back at Akane on the ground, his eyes darkening at the position she was in. _Because of me. _

Ryoga whipped his head around see who Ranma was looking at. On the ground, passed out was a young lady he'd never seen before, but had heard plenty of from his cohort he was currently assisting. Turning to lean Ranma up against the car, he went over to her prone form, scooping an arm under her legs and neck, careful not to injure her any further. "Can you get to the car or do I need to carry you as well?"

He wanted to sneer at Ryoga, but he knew the man was perfectly serious, so he controlled his face. "I' can make it, guy. I'm fine, just make sure she's okay." Looking above him, he noticed the sprinklers. Groaning, he thanked the kamis. _Cold water is the last thing I need right now...._

"Well get a shuffle on it, _Hobbles_. We only have a few minutes before half of the Tokyo police department is jammed in this garage, with guns pointing at us. And trust me. That steel pipe routine you pulled earlier ain't gonna be your ticket outta here."

A tick formed over Ranma's cheek and he clenched his raised fist. "Don't. Call. Me. Hobbles." At Ryoga's boisterous laugh at his expense, he shook his head and followed as quickly as he could to the car.

Once they reached the apartment, Ryoga first attended to Ranma's injuries despite his protest. After taking a look at him, he went to the kitchen, returning with a bag of frozen peas. Tossing them to his friend, he stated "You got a bruised rib there buddy, and your ankle is just slightly sprained. With your level of training, its should be fine in a couple of hours. Your girlfriend on the other hand..."

His eyes slitted at the implied nickname. "Cut it out. She's not my girlfriend."

"Chill out. You're fooling no one with the tough guy routine." Ryoga grunted. "Anyways, nothing is physically wrong with her. Just let her sleep it off while we figure something out." Ryoga looked over to her again. "Have you told her?"

Ranma lowered his head into his hands, grabbing handfuls of hair as he sighed. "It not like I've had all the time in the world to sit down and explain any and everything. Not that I wanted to anyways. I just really had my first conversation with her an hour before all of this happened."

"Do you plan on telling her?"

Ranma took a look behind him at the woman passed out across his couch. Even with her torn shirt, mussed hair, and impossibly filth smeared face, she was still beautiful. She looked peaceful, and he was in no mood to ruin that for her. He would let her rest, then he would get her out of this situation as quickly as he knew possible.

"Do you have the envelope?"

He reached into his pocket, amazed that he hadn't lost in in the fray of things. No it was still there.

"Yes."

Ryoga smiled a smile that quite didn't reached his eyes. "Good. Lets figure something out."

It had been a long time since Ranma had cared about anything. A long time since he was actually _able_ to care about anything. The life he lead, the family he came from, only certain things mattered. Your appearance to the world, your studies and and how hard you fought. Status, intelligence and strength. All of that encompassed under the word "Honor". _Everything else would be taken care of, _they told him. He grimaced at the meaning behind the words and shook his head. At this point in his life he loathed the word, as the definition had been stripped to the bones and mutated into something different all together. A form of control that after twenty seven years of existence he _still_ wasn't used to. Or wanted to get used to. Or wanted to accept. But there were things that were bigger than him, than his father or his family. Things that he couldn't alter.

He sighed and shook his head. She had been sleep for hours now and he was beginning to get worried. Remembering how she had spent her nights for the last couple of months, he realized that on top of all the commotion of today, the woman may just exhausted. He watched her chest rise and fall, the only thing he focused on, making sure she was still with him.

He was content to just watch her, share such an intimate moment that most would never get to see. He took a look at his coding book, sliding his pencil between the pages, done with his notes for the time being. He dropped his coding book and it was quickly followed by his laptop. She had definitely taken precedence over his prized laptop and reading information. _Not that I'd tell her that...or anything. _Noticing goosebumps on her uncovered arms, he reached down to the foot of the couch and grabbed a blanket.

It was a simple innocent gesture he was making. She looked cold, and he had a remedy for it. As he pulled the blanket up, it gave him slight moment to notice other things about Akane that he'd never been close enough to notice. A small smooth mole on the inside of her right knee. Her shirt was raised slightly, and from his vantage point he could see a small scar running right above her bellybutton. The further the went up the more things he noticed. Like she didn't' have pierced ears. _How unassuming....and cute. _He continued up in slow inches until he was able to tuck the blanket around her.

Something stirred and Ranma pulled back slightly, and was greeted with two doe brown eyes staring at him intently. He meant to pull back even further, but found himself unable to. He had heard somewhere that it was possible to get lost in someone's eyes, but he always thought it to be the sappiest crock of bull his ears had ever had the displeasure of hearing. Now, he wished he could find that person at this moment, and eat crow pie. He couldn't find himself out of this hush, this calmness that Akane Tendo's eyes were, even if he had a lifeline pulling him to safety.

She had actually been up quite some time before she actually opened her eyes. She sat still, feeling Ranma's presence near, hoping that he would spill some information while he assumed she was still sleep. Nothing, but him sighing like some kind of moronic fool for the last three or four minutes. When she felt him move, she went to open her eyes, but then she felt his hands near her ankle, and she had to suppress a shiver. _Its only a damn ankle for heaven's sake Tendo. Get a gri..._Her thoughts paused into nothingness as she felt his hands slide up even further, skimming across the skin of her thigh. Mentally she snorted. _This isn't the time to divulge in one of your fantasies Akane. He's just pulling a blanket up. _But by the time she felt his hands floating slightly over her arms as he tucked the blanket, her heart was beating so damn erratically, she'd thought she'd go into arrest at any moment. _Woman! Of such little self control! For the love of..._

Opening her eyes, she was greeted by the shock of his black hair just inches from her nose, causing her to wrinkle up at it to keep from tickling her. Suddenly he was right in front of her, a hazy look in his eyes, yet no smirk on his face. She watched as the same eyes locked onto hers and it took everything that made her a Tendo not to reach out and move the piece of hair falling over his eyes. It was blocking her view, and for one fleeting moment she wanted to be as lost in his eyes as he seemed to be in hers. _So this is what its like to be this close to him. I'm tempted to say its better than my imagination, and that's saying something as vivid as mines is. _

"AHEM!"

Both of their heads snapped up, Ranma's a little faster than Akane's, resulting in the top of her head meeting with his chin.

His hand immediately went to his face, rubbing his now sore chin. "Dammit Ryoga. The least you could do is tell me when you're sneaking into a room."

The man by the doorway, chuckled, picking an imaginary piece of lint off of his hoodie. "I stood here a solid minute, and you two were so wrapped up over there making googly eyes at each other, that you didn't notice me. I had to say something." Ranma stood, balling his fist as he approached the bandana clad man. "We could always try a different method of gaining my attention. Like pissin' me off you stupid..."

"Don't be rude, your hi...." Ryoga caught himself. "...Ranma. Introduce me to your lady friend, who looks to have taken permanent residence on my couch." Taking a glance at the scowl still pervading over Ranma's face, he chuckled again. _Musta embarrassed him or something. Comedy. _"Never mind, you brute." Brushing by Ranma, Ryoga approached the still sitting Akane, leaning over and grabbing her hand. "My couch enjoys your company and the pleasure is all mines, Ms..."

"Tendo. Akane Tendo."

"Hmmm..." Brushing a kiss across her knuckles, he smiled fetching smile at the young lady. "That which we call a rose

by any other name would smell as sweet..." Ryoga was forced to stop as a wad of paper bounced unceremoniously off of his head. Twisting his head towards Ranma, his eyes grew to the slits.

"Cut it out Romeo, you're gonna make me throw up that miserable dinner you fed me." Ranma resumed his spot against the board of the doorway, that boyish smirk playing on his lips. Ryoga instantly straightened up, and stalked over to where Ranma was. "Don't make me..."

"BOYS! Boys! I swear. Spare me the battle for male dominance." The both turned to see Akane rising from her sitting position. She moved slowly obviously sore from the adventure of a lifetime she'd had after meeting Ranma. "If you two could find a moment to spare, I REALLY need a bath."

She lifted her arms above her head, stretching the last of the kinks out. The movement caused her shirt to lift higher exposing the smooth skin of her belly. Ranma noticed Ryoga _noticing_ and out of the side of his mouth mumbled "Don't make me kill you."

Ryoga mumbled under his breath. "I'm just kiddin' around Ranma. So territorial in such a short amount of time. She must have really had your nose wide open at work." And before Ranma could reply, Ryoga was moving away and pointing towards the hallway for Akane. "Excuse Ranma's rudeness. The bathroom is down this way, first door on your left after the mirror."

Akane smiled her thanks and moved past both men towards the hallway. She caught Ranma's eye one last time before she noticed the mirror that Ryoga had mentioned. She knew she must look a mess. She still needed answers from the two of them, seeing as Ryoga seemed to be involved or wizened to tonight's events. But that could wait until after she had a nice warm shower. At first she only took a fleeting look at the mirror until she noticed something, very, very odd. Facing the mirror, the whipping her head to the side, she realized that the whole bottom left of her hair was singed and choppy. She was calm for one evanescent moment before threw her head back and screamed.

Ranma was the first to reach her, but came to a screeching halt when he noticed what she was looking at. _Dammit! Why didn't I remember to mention that to her before she saw it? Oh yeah. I didn't want to be withing reach when she tried to take bolt cutters to my neck. _"Akane...the fire from the blast...it singed your hair..." Akane quirked her head towards him. "Clearly." Without another word, she turned and marched towards the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind her.

"Well she's a feisty one, isn't she? How much trouble are ya in, pal?" Ryoga was still in the living room, obviously enjoying the plight his friend was in.

"Ryoga. Can it. She hears you laughing and she'll use that headband that take that pretty little head of yours off." And with that the laughter died down.

Ranma heard the shower turn on and approached the bathroom door timidly. He called out to her, and heard no response, just the water hitting the floor as she rinsed off. Then tiny steps and a soft splash as she slid into the bath water. He sighed.

"I...I haven't apologized for the position I put you in, tonight. I apologize about that, and...and your hair. I know..."

This was so not the plan. I mean there was no plan, he didn't know that he was going to be attacked today of all days. He knew the probable reason behind it, but he would have never approached her, never invited her into his space, if he knew she'd be put into this type of danger. He reasoned with himself just to tell her the truth, let her know exactly how much danger she was in. He could imagine her walking through the doors without a seconds hesitation, never looking back. But the more she knew the more dangerous it would be for her.. He wouldn't allow it. He'd never forgive himself is she was dragged down into the darkness because of his decisions.

"You won't understand...I can't make you understand...." He let out a string of curses, frustrated with himself. He was surprised at realizing his lack of self control. He was supposed to be calm, cool and collected. He was raised to be in complete control in situations like this.

A tiny voice came from behind the door. "Ranma?"

Ranma slid down the wall he was leaning against, running a hand through his head once he reached the floor. He then rested both his arms on his knees, leaning his head against the bathroom door. "You ever heard the story of the Fountain of Youth? My dad....he would tell me stories every night before I went to bed. Some I'd remember, others I'd discard after he was finished. You see, he wasn't really good at telling stories. But there was one, and I never forgot it because I thought it was so sad." He paused when he heard her making her way out of the bath water and over to the shower to rinse off. When she stopped moving he continued.

"Anyways, its an old story, about an old man and an old woman up in some mountains. One day he finds the spring and drinks from it and returns to his youth. He hurries home and explains to his wife and lets her know he'll stay here, she can go to the spring and recapture her youth as well. So she goes and he stays at the house. And he's waiting and he's waiting. He starts to get worried. So he goes after her. After looking and looking, he finds her at the spring. She's a little baby. She had drank too much. Sadly he takes her home."

A long moment of time passed before either one said anything. Ranma staring at the wall and Akane in the bathroom doing Kami knows what.

"That's very sad, but why are you telling me this Ranma?"

"Because Akane. Everything has a cause, and there are repercussions for our every actions. Even bedtime stories can morph into tragedies..."

"What are you trying to tell me..." Ranma's head suddenly feel backwards as the door to the bathroom opened. As quickly as he could muster, he righted himself up and stood. Surprised, he reached out across the space between then, daring to run his hands through her now short locks. He raised one eyebrow up at her and smiled.

"You think fast on your feet, lady."

Akane smiled carefully as he examined her haircut. At first when she went into the bathroom she was mad as a hellcat. In that moment there was nothing to do to salvage her hair. She stared at herself in the mirror, mortified at the turn of events. First her computer, then making a fool out of herself in front of Ranma. Then when things couldn't get any worse...she almost dies...twice. _I must be a Gemini._

She giggled at herself. She took the bath that she was praying to Kami for, it calming her nerves, allowing her to think rationally. As Ranma was telling her the story, she tried to search for a plausible link of relativity from the story to tonight's events, finding none. As she starred at the door waiting for an explanation, she noticed a pair of shears. So she did what she thought was best. No way she was running around town with a hairstyle that asymmetrical. She was modern and trendy...but not THAT modern and trendy.

She reached back to where his hands was playing with her newly chopped ends and caught his hand in hers. She looked back up at him, questions playing back and forth in the depth of her eyes. Ranma took her hand and tightened his grip around her, as he pulled her a fraction of a step closer.

"I will protect you Akane. I promise." He didn't know what was pulling him, he didn't even know where the words came from. All he knew is that he meant it, his swift assertion of guard over her person echoing through in and through out every corner of his heart. He moved closer to her until he was able to smell the jasmine scent floating around her like a spectral web of attraction.

He watched with mild amusement as she took a step back until she abruptly stopped, her back smooth up against the bathroom door. Akane eyes fluttered for a second, a hard shock of de ja vu playing on her senses. He moved swiftly but at the same time, it felt like slow motion to Akane, the closer her drew to her. When he was only inches from her face, he whispered. "But I need you to trust me."

Instantly the haze lifted from in front of Akane's eyes, and in that brief second Ranma could see that the moment was lost. A smile slowly formed on her lips as she lifted her head slightly to look him in the eyes. "How can I trust you with my protection, when you won't trust me with the truth. You must think I'm some kind of idiot."

When he didn't answer she kept going in. "Lets see, Saotome. We are almost ran over, then _my_ car **explodes** and to top it all off I then manage to wake up in a strange apartment owned by a man who randomly fires off Shakespeare quotes. Obviously something is going on. What I don't understand is your reluctance to clue me in."

Never removing himself from her space, he gently ran his thumb across the skin of her palm. Sighing he took a step back. He wasn't quite sure what made him do that in the first place. He could admit that her wanting to know was a justifiable answer. But he couldn't help what she didn't understand. And that knowing would be more dangerous than ignorance.

"This is for your own good."

"My. Own. Good? Who the hell do you think you are? Do I look like some four year old to you? Who said I needed your damn protection in the first place? I was doing just fine until I met you!"

Ranma closed his eyes. _That came out wrong. So very wrong. _"I'm not saying that..."

"No, you fool! You're not saying anything!"

He opened his eyes, pinning his gaze on her, willing her to understand. "If you'd just listen, what I'm.."

"Oh screw this! I should just leave!"

He would protect her. Even if it meant....

"That's what I want you to do! That's what I wanted you to do all along! Leave! Nobody is keeping you here! All I want you to do is get away from me!

Hearing something so forbearing coming from his lips caused her to snap. The car, her hair; they were catalyst already tap dancing on her nerves, but this was the last straw. Snatching her hand back from his, she sneered at him. Balling her newly freed hand, she threw a punch in his direction. Only good fortune allowed him to miss it. He didn't account for her speed in the first jab as the second one landed right on his cheek. He hit the floor more out of surprise that hurt, although he wouldn't admit it, but his ears were ringing slightly.

She stood over him, hand on her hip, a sardonic smile of satisfaction playing on her face. She walked off momentarily, coming back with clothes in her hand. She kicked his left firmly, and turned to the door opening. As she entered and slammed the door for emphasis, Ranma could barley hear her on the other side whisper. "You can't get rid of me that easily."

Ranma lifted himself on his elbows, letting his drop backwards, allowing him to look straight above him. _Just allow me to get through this without killing her. I promise you, I'll be a good boy. _

Ryoga sat at his kitchen table, looking out into the night sky. The clock in the corner read twelve fifteen at night. He bemusedly listened through his walls, at the couple's argument. _You can't write this sort of stuff, its hilarious. _He had scampered to the kitchen sink, to give the semblance that he wasn't eavesdropping once he heard Ranma approaching his kitchen. Once Ranma rounded the corner, Ryoga turned to him, willing himself to keep the grin that was dancing around in his stomach off his face. What Ryoga found so hilarious was Ranma reaction to Akane.

The type of lifestyle that Ranma was used to allowed for a certain breed of female to pomade around him as if he was a fresh slab of meat to hungry wolves. These women, so needy for his attention would mind his every word, except the ones to leave him alone. They swore their devotion to him. Oh the multitudes of love letters he would receive. Ridiculous. So Ryoga was swimming in satisfaction at being able to witness a woman that not only challenged him, but from the sounds of it, packed a mean right punch.

Actually she sounded right up _his_ alley, and he would be tempted. Very tempted, if he wasn't already engaged himself. _If only I had met her sooner_.

Ranma had a no nonsense scowl across his face, as he rubbed his offended cheek. He kicked a chair out and landed with a thump. "That...that WOMAN...she hit me."

"I wonder what would cause her to do a thing like that." Before Ranma could reply to the obvious sarcasm in his voice, Ryoga cut him off. "Uyko is on the way." At Ranma's raised eyebrow, Ryoga explained. "You did plan on making sure Akane got home safe and sound right? I certainly hope you didn't think you were going to personally escort her there?" The look of subtle awareness lit Ranma's face up.

Ryoga nodded. "From the looks of it, no one followed us here when we left the garage. It was dark, so we can't be a hundred percent sure. But if someone, possibly the man who tried to run you two over, spotted her, then we'll have Ucchan stay with Akane, just to be sure."

"There are a few things I still just don't get." Ryoga walked to the refrigerator, grabbing a beer and a bottled water for Ranma.

"And that is...?"

"Before today, other than me following her around and making light of an office crush, they would have no reason to target Akane. I know for a fact that we were the only two in the building, and it was only by chance that we ran into each other. No one would have known that we would meet and end up leaving together. How would they know what car she drove, what she looked like?.And even with all that information, why would they bomb _her_ car? Why not mines?"

Ryoga scratched his head, the same questions had been playing in his mind earlier. He didn't know much about the woman, but he knew other than tonight, there was no connection between her and Ranma. He knew _why_ these people were after Ranma. But he wanted to know who was behind it. He wanted to know how they knew about him being in Tokyo. How they knew where he worked and how they knew he would have the envelope with him when they attacked. What was the link between Ranma, the envelope and Akane Tendo?

A knock at the door interrupted the conversation, both men pausing mid thought. "Well, that was fast. What did she do? Fly over here on a rocket?" Ranma looked at the door and then at Ryoga. "You might want to go get that. Ucchan will kick that door down in the next thirty seconds. And you might wanna chill down all that Shakespeare you was ranting off earlier." Ranma let a cocky smile grace his features, as Ryoga blanched.

"Utter a word about it and I'll make it to where she can use your ass for target practice." Ryoga moved towards the door as Ranma rolled his eyes. While Ryoga went to the door, Ranma decided to go check on Akane once again. She couldn't' spend all night in the bathroom. Plus Ucchan was here.

He rounded the corner to the bathroom, when he knocked on the door, it opened. Peeking inside he found it to be completely empty. Panic instantly set in. She wasn't in the kitchen or the living room. "AKANE??!!" _For the love of Ramen soup! I didn't want her to LEAVE leave. I wanted her to ….why didn't I just say that...why can't I just say ANYTHING right around her? _

"Oh calm down, you dolt. I'm in here." The voice called from the end of the hallway. Ranma calmed that second. _Oh. I forgot to check my room. Ha. _Moving down the hallway to his bedroom, he pushed he door open, to find Akane sitting on his bed. He gulped. In one of his shirts. He gulped again. His favorite shirt. _I could never wear my shirt as well as she is wearing it right now. _

"I hope you don't mind me wearing this. I tried to put on my clothes from earlier. But they were all dirty. Plus the shirt was all torn up. Do you know how much I paid for that....never mind." She patted a spot close to her on the bed. "Here, come sit with me." He hesitantly moved towards her, and she noticed. "Ah. About that. I'll ask for your forgiveness about me punching you...and kicking you. You made me very mad. But that's no reason for me to...you know."

Ranma hand tentatively touched the slightly sore spot where Akane's punch had landed earlier. "No big deal. You hit like a girl." She cocked on eyebrow at him and he smiled, softening his words. Once he took a seat next to her, he noticed that her eyes were lightly puffy, like maybe she had been crying. He wisely chose not to say anything about it. Akane didn't seem to be the type of person to take lightly of any kind of weakness, proven earlier when he had to duck a punch. He instead chose to put her arm around her, allowing her to put her head on his shoulder.

"You're going to send me away, aren't you?" She surprised him with her question, and he took a second to look over to her. She reached back and rapped her knuckles against the walls. "Thin walls in this apartment building."

Ranma chuckled, remembering the cheap rent and even cheaper architecture of the run down apartment complex he and Ryoga chose to live in.

"I don't quite understand what you and Ryoga were talking about. But I do understand that there might be someone targeting me. Don't you think its wise that I stay with you and not be sent off like some damsel in distress? But then again." She sighed. " That's what this Ucchan woman is here for isn't she." Ranma opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again. _She already knows the answers to her questions, doesn't' she. _

He wanted to laugh again, but her suddenly wrapping her arms around his torso stopped him. "I am scared. But you are taking me way too lightly." Ranma looked down at her, a sound temptation to kiss the top of her head, but he ignored it.

"That's not it Akane. I've dragged you into something...into a situation where I don't even have all the answers. Just really good educated guesses. I just want you safe, away from me. Just in case targeting you was by coincidence. Uyko will keep you safe while I figure everything else out." He reached down, tipping her chin back so he could look her in the eyes. "But I promise you. I will come for you when I'm know more. Know everything."

In that moment the drive to kiss her was insatiable. He didn't understand and couldn't get a grip on his feelings. What was driving him to want her this much? Yeah he had appreciated her from a distance, and maybe just the close proximity to her sweet smell and delightful smile that was making him act like he'd known her all her life, when in reality it had only been a short few months. Maybe if she would stop looking at him with those crazy, prepossessing eyes.

He inched closer to her, despite his brain telling him he was moving entirely too fast. The second he felt the moist skin of her lips ghost over his, a loud whistle broke the quiet, albeit feverish atmosphere of the room. Ranma looked out the corner of his eyes to find Ryoga and Uyko standing in the doorway.

"No please! Don't stop! This is better than that money I spent watching that cheesy romance movie Ryoga rented last week." The grin plastered on Uyko's face was obviously contagious as her fiancee had it smacked across his face too. Ranma lowered his head. _No wonder they are engaged. They both are meddling interfering assholes. _Running his hand over his face and blowing air upwards towards his bangs, he stared at the two.

"Do you two have nothing better to do than this? EVER?" At their continued smirks and the infuriating chuckle coming from Ryoga, Ranma gave up. He turned to Akane to find her actually smiling, as well. Seeing how he had lost a battle he didn't even know he was fighting, he sighed as Akane gently de-tangled herself from him and sat up. "You must be Uyko."

Uyko sauntered into the room, squeezing between Akane and Ranma as she took a spot on his bed. "Well I sure am, honey! I hope these two boys have been treating you alright. If not, tell me. I know how to deal with these two very well." And with that she grabbed Ranma, throwing him under her arm and running her knuckles across the top of his head. "You see men sometimes only understand violence, Akane. Especially these two." Ranma pulled from Ucchan's grip and ran to the door.

"Why you...." Ranma stuck his tongue out at Uyko and turned to Ryoga. "Lets go. Let those two have...girl talk or whatever it is that women like to do when there aren't men around.." Ranma marched out of the room with Ryoga following behind him. "Probably us. Good thing these walls aren't worth shit. That way they can't get out of hand with the trash talk."

Once the two men left, Uyko turned to Akane, instantly noticing her attire. "Heh...That's Ranma's favorite shirt. Must mean something if he let you wear it."

Akane fingered the silky fire red shirt that she was currently clothed in. "His favorite?"

Ukyo nodded. "Him and his pops trained in China. For a while when he was younger, that's all he wore, Chinese clothing that is."

Akane quirked a brow up. "Training...I thought he was a computer engineer"

The young woman reached into the bag swung over her shoulder and started looking for something. "Anything Goes Martial Arts. Yeah him and his father were big on it for years and years. Traveled all of China and Japan. I know he doesn't look it, but he is an excellent and powerful fighter. Trust me. I've sparred with him. "

Akane whipped her head around to look at the young woman still hunched over. "That's...that's the name of the martial arts that my father mastered. Why does...."

"Hmmm, you might want to ask him about that. I don't know much about it, other than what he has told me."

Akane filled that information for later. A question had been on her mind for a while and she had meant to ask Ranma, but figured now that Uyko was in "charge" of her, she would be the better person to ask.

"Do you think it would be possible or even advisable for me to return to work. I have a huge presentation I need to give tomorrow, and if I make it out of this situation alive, I would like a life to return to. Especially a job to return to.

She waited a beat. Then another. When Uyko didn't say anything, she cleared her throat. Waited another second.

"Uyko..."

"FOUND IT!" Uyko flung her hand in the air. "Call me Ucchan, sugar." She reached out and grabbed Akane's wrist and slid a bracelet around it.

"I know this is all untoward and everything, but that bracelet shouldn't come off. As you know, Ranma is pretty damn smart. Since we were kids, its been all about training. Until he discovered electronics and those damn computers. In his spare time when he wasn't training, he was building little doo-dads and thingamajigs. Through out the years he's built hundreds of gadgets, which are really cool. This is one of them. Its a tracker."

Akane fingered the bracelet. Simple looking in its making, a powdered blue metal, a silver dragon etched into it, running the entire length of the bracelet.

"Until we figure out what the hell is going on and how it involves you, we need to know where you are. For the next couple of days, I'll be with you, while Ryoga is with Ranma." Jutting her own wrist out, she showed Akane a powder pink bracelet. "Its twin. You can always locate me as well. As long as we have these bracelets, we'll never be lost." Winking at Akane, she reached back into her bag and pulled out a her cellphone. "What we'll do later on tonight is have Ranma sync the tracking program, _he created_ by the way, to your phone."

Akane quipped at her brow, surprised to find tiny drops of sweat there. So much...in so little time. "This is so surreal...I don't even want to..."

Uyko smiled and punched Akane lightly on the shoulder. "I know, honey. There is so much that needs to be discovered before anybody can explain what's going on around here. I'm still majorly confused myself. But it'll be over in a couple of days. One way or another. I promise."

She tensed like she was about to get up from the bed but turned to Akane one last time. "Oh yeah, work should be fine. I'll clear it with Major Knucklehead and Captain Peabrain. But it should be okay."

Akane smiled weakly at the woman beside her as she sprung up from her bed and left the room. _Her spirits are awfully high for a jacked up situation as this. _She looked down at her bracelet again. _These bracelets are obviously not new. Ranma created a tracking program? Why would they have tracking bracelets readily available. And Ranma's a disciple of Anything Goes? __**Who are these people**__?_

Akane threw a hand threw her hair and laid down. "What have I gotten myself into?"

A/N: **Are Are!(Oh My) I hope I don't confuse myself ^_^. Anyways if you didn't get the "Almost Died twice...I must be a Gemini" phrase that was a joke... Chris Rock. Champagne Room? No? Ha! Well I laughed. **

**I want to thank ALLLL of you. I got this feeling like a gigantic fairy (Navi presumably) was over me sprinkling fairy dust on my head when I read your reviews. As you can see I**_**'m not that accustomed to getting them, **_**so I appreciate them SOOO MUCH . I hope that you'll continue reading, because I'm going to continue writing. Ja, ne!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hulllllo, everybody! I'm back. Seems I can't go a week without writing something, but trust me once this semester hits, it may slow down...to a week and a half, ha! I'm addicted. **

**Thank you for the reviews! I still get slap happy when I get them. They are worth their weight in goals. I'm also get the giggles when I can shoot the wind with my reviewers, like I've been doing all week. It's fun fun fun! You guys are great. **

**Ahem. Anyways! Chapter Three! **

Delicate Covenant: Chapter 3

The quality of mercy is not strain'd,

It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven

Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest:

It blesseth him that gives and him that takes

-Portia, The Merchant of Venice

Akane sighed as she cuffed the gathering silk of her pantyhose to pull them up around her legs. Sliding on her skirt and smoothing out the camisole under the waist of it, she turned and looked herself in the mirror. _This is abso-fucking-lutely perfect. This would occur on a night before I'm to present one of the biggest presentations of my life. Father would be proud at the mess I've gotten myself into. _Sighing yet again, she fixed her hair as best as she could and smoothed on some lipstick. Slipping her shoes on, she grabbed her jacket. She had managed to wake up early enough to slip out of the door with Ukyo and purchase a rather plain looking suit from a consignment shop that was a block away from the apartment, but it did the job and who was she to complain?

She still had another hour or two before she had to leave, the Doulcher people would arrive at Taichou around three, so for that she breathed a sigh of relief. She needed just a few more moments to gather herself, before facing a crowd of Americans. Her English was decent, but she prayed she had enough vernacular within their language to sell them. She seemed to be calmer than she expected though, considering the events that took place less than 24 hours ago, but she'd reach deeper into her psyche latter on to find the source of her peace.

Once Akane was pleased as she was going to be with her appearance, she hesitantly rounded the corner into the hallway and made her way into the kitchen, where a terse Ranma sat, a bowl of rice porridge before him. She smoothly crossed the room and after searching for a minute, removed a bowl from the unorganized and cluttered cabinets within their kitchen. Without a word, she took the seat across from him, and spooned out a serving for herself. For a strained couple of minutes, it was silent as each of them concentrated on eating and ignoring the others presence.

Akane bristled on the inside. _He has no idea, no contingency plan or anything when I'm involved. One minute he wants me to stay, the next he wants me to go. How was I ever attracted to such an ass backwards man in the first place. _Akane heard her conscious laughing at her t and her eyes somehow strayed to the sinewy muscle clearly visible, for all Ranma wore was a thin sleeveless undershirt. _And he's supposedly brilliant too. Just perfect _the thought in thinly veiled disgust.Shaking her head she recalled the argument that ensued between the two of them as soon as she had returned from her early morning shopping....

Ukyo turned the last of the stairs heading towards the apartment door of her fiance and Ranma's. Akane followed closely behind, a bag tucked under the arm and a tired expression on her face. They had somehow arranged to wake up early enough to be the first two customer in a rather nice hand me down store down the street. After a hour of shopping they had managed to walk away with a semblance of a suit. It didn't take much convincing to get Ukyo to accompany her to the store, under the guise that Ukyo would be protecting her. Ukyo was seemingly a shopping maniac and never turned down the chance to do it.

It may have been unwise for them to have left without letting the males know, and seconds after the thought hit Akane, Ukyo voiced it.

"Hmm. You think that we should have left a note or something?" Ukyo looked back at Akane, nervously playing with the ends of the bow holding her hair back. Then she slapped her knee, an undaunted laugh escaping her lips. "The big oofs, Ryoga sleeps like a big ole baby, I mean,_ really_, I'd have to lay a knuckle sandwich across him in order for him to wake and Ranma....well I don't know how hard Ranma sleeps." Lightly tapping the end of her nose, she turned fully on Akane, a playing smile parading across her face. "How does Ranma sleep? Surely you must know, being his girlfriend and all.."

Akane tedious climb up the steps came to a full halt as she gawked at the spunky woman. "G-Girlfriend? I'm not Ranma's _girlfriend._..I'm not his anything! And I don't _want_ to be his anything. How ridiculous!" Akane threw hew nose in the air and turned away from Ukyo. Ukyo brought a hand to her lips to hold back the chuckle, but found herself unable to do so. Akane turned glinted eyes back towards Uyko, obviously not seeing the humor in the situation.

"The lady doth protest too much...." Akane promptly turned a slight hue of red but regained her composure. "Hmm, I see Ms. Tendo. I was just _ playing_ with you, because you are a riot to tease. Ranma was right about that!" Uyko held up her hands in a placating nature. "I give. I'll stop. Although...."

Akane raised a nervous eyebrow toward the woman, although curiosity played softly across her eyes. "Although what..."

"One must wonder...Yeaaaah...No. Never mind..." Ukyo turned back forward and continued up the stairs in a brisk manner.

That soft curiosity became full blown as she reached down to grab the garment bag and quickly followed suit behind her. "Hey...one must wonder what?"

Ukyo called over her shoulder, as she turned down the hallway towards the apartment "I said never mind, honey. It's nothing."

"Well I'm sure if it were nothing, you wouldn't have brought it up in the first place. One must wonder what, Uyko?"

Arriving at the door, she reached over the door frame and grabbed her spare key. She turned a bright smile towards Akane, who had arrived shortly after her, waving the key in front of her face. "This right here? Top G-4 Red coded classified _girlfriend_ stuff, you wouldn't know much about it since your not Ranma's...."

Akane lightly pushed the hand in her face away, rolling here eyes at the key and implied importance the woman placed on it. "Who cares about girlfriend stuff when you don't want to be someone's girlfriend. A irascible frown marred her features as she tapped her foot, waiting for an answer. "One. Must. Wonder What!?"

Ukyo opened her mouth to answer but was silenced as the door swung open. Both women froze as the tangible waves of anger rolled out of the apartment. Ukyo slowly turned to Ranma, who was standing there, a look of pure fury coloring him bright red. Right behind him Ryoga stood, his head lowered, his knuckled fist supporting it. Before Ranma's anger caused him to say something he'd regret, Ryoga paced towards the door.

"Someone want to explain, for _Ranma_ of course, where you ladies have been?...." And under his breath after he rolled his eyes in annoyance "...so he doesn't die of stupidity.

The once highly talkative Ukyo stood there with her mouth slammed closed, obviously not use to seeing Ranma this angered. _Holy bill of rights, Batman! He's going to blow a damn gasket. _ Ryoga looked back and forth between the two ladies, his gaze settling on his fiance. "Ukyo....." Uykyo began to say something, and then again noticing Ranma's lovely shade of_ RAGE,_ continued her vow of silence. Akane on the other hand, had a slight death wish, and chose to answer Ryoga's inquiry.

"He," jutting her finger towards Ranma, "gave me '_permission'_ to go to work, if Ukyo babysat me. And that's exactly what she did. _Babysat_ me all the way to the store." Following her thumb, she turned towards him and regarded him with cool indifference. "You couldn't have possibly expected me to go to work provisioned in clothing fit for a fire thrower, did you? Presuming that's what you're so angry about."

It took every ounce of training Ranma had not fly off the handle at the blue haired girl. Granted he absolutely no idea what to do with her, how to keep her safe, except having Ukyo guard her. He honestly couldn't understand why he was so angry. She was right. He had handed her safety off to Uyko, and he had technically no right to yell. But damn her, for making him worry.

He had spent a very murderous night on the couch, thanks to one damsel in distress currently taking residence in his bed. His lack of sleep was also accompanied by his brain trying to formulate five hundred ways to de-tangle her from this heap of trouble. There was obviously some kind of connection, one he couldn't see, which left him helpless. The faster he worked at finding who was trying to harm either him or her, the faster he could stop them, and the quicker they could return to some semblance of normal life. _Well, as normal as life can get after someone has tried to kill you._

When he woke up, he went to her, just to check on her, maybe give her some encouraging words for her presentation. When Uyko came to him last night, he almost refused, but the look on her face when she hugged him last, caused him pause. He relented after the brunette explained that she would be with her at all times, and they were all go on communications. "If she can escape from this wasp's nest unscathed, she's going to need a life to return to. If I'm with her, she'll be fine."

Upon entering the room, he found an empty bed. He quickly backtracked into the hallway, heading towards the bathroom. Empty. He began to panic, as he was prone to do more since the last 24 hours occurred. He raced towards Ryoga's door and after listening for a few seconds, hoping to avoid that whole walking in and seeing naked man ass incident again, he opened the door. Ryoga was sprawled diagonally across the bed, dead asleep. No Ukyo.

He quickly ran his balled fist across his roommate's head, knowing from conversations with his fiance, calling his name would not work. Ryoga bolted up from his sleeping position on the bed, his hands flying to sharp pains running across his skull. "What in the hell is your problem, man! Dammit!"

"Where's your fiance at, you dumbwit?"

Ryoga slowly rubbed the sleep from his eyes and turned towards his right...his left. Scratching his head, he turned back to Ranma and shrugged. "Taking a leak?" Seeing how his answer did not appease the pigtailed boy one bit, he sighed.

"Being the tactical genius of us two, I'll deduce that Akane and Uyko aren't here are they?"

Ranma just glared. Tactical_ genius my ass. This coming from the moron who got lost with a GPS hooked to him, telling him turn for turn. _

"And if Akane and Uyko aren't here, that means they are together right?"

More glaring.

"And if Akane is with Uyko, she's being protec..."

"Alright, ass, I get your point! That still doesn't excuse them from not letting us know they left. Until she leaves this house, she is my..."

Ryoga swung his feet over the edge of the bed, stretching his full length and knocking the last bit of sleep off his body. Then raising a questioning eyebrow at the other man, he asked slowly "Your what?"

Ranma rolled his eyes. "My responsibility."

Ryoga snorted at all the commotion, deciding that brushing his teeth would be more useful that arguing with an irate Ranma over something that made sense to everyone but him. He happened to believe that his fiancee was a highly component and skilled fighter, and if anyone was going to protect Akane and do a decent job, it'd be her. He didn't necessarily like it that she was out without him, because for the last ten years, they had always been together, training, fighting....protecting.

But he put his trust in her, and headed for the bathroom. " Look here half baked, kook. Ukyo is with Akane. If a problem were to arise, we have these things called cellphones. You also have every computer in this house hard wired to her tracker. She's fine." He paused in his movements when he heard the light tinkering of female laughter coming from the stairwell. He instantly recognized his fiancee's laughter, followed by that of Ms. Tendo's outburst Ranma had moved to to the living room, practically stomping like a madman on his way to the door, obviously not hearing one word Ryoga said. He followed him into the living room and sighed, placing his head upon his fist. Ryoga sighed.

_By the heavens, save me. _

All of that leading to Ranma trying his damnedest to swallow the bullet he had planned on shooting Akane with, instead opting to shoot dangers at her.

"What the hell is in that bag? Where the hell have you been? How long have you been gone?"

Akane sharpened her own set of daggers and pointed them towards Ranma.

"Clothes. As I stated before, you buffoon, you didn't think I was going to work, looking like I put out a forest fire. I'm no bear. My name isn't Smokey."

"Who the hell is Smokey?"

Rolling her eyes heavenward, she continued. "You're starting to piss me off. I don't have time for this, I need to get dressed, so if you'd excuse me..." She tried to push past the raving lunatic but was stopped short. "You didn't think it would be wise to TELL us where you went before you went traipsing off to buy a stupid dress?"

"You were sleep."

"And waking me is beyond your scope of comprehension? Was it too hard to shake me, wake me up, say 'Hey Ranma, off to endanger my life! See ya!' Was it?"

"I saw no need of raising the dead or the stupid." She cracked her knuckles as her last thread of patience snapped."I'm not exactly sure what your brand of obtuse thinking is leading too, but as I said before, I was with Ukyo the entire time. Which was the plan if I'm not mistaken. So until you can find some reasoning in that slush of gray cells you call a brain, I'll be going now. Your best bet would be to move the hell out of the way, Mr. Saotome."

With that, she left a sputtering mad Ranma alone in the doorway of his apartment; Ukyo and Ryoga headed towards the safety of his room, sniggering madly.

As soon as the door closed, Ukyo bodily laid against it, her ear seemingly attached to the wood of the door. Ryoga cocked an eyebrow at her antics, then rolled his eyes when he realized what she was up to. "Woman. Get away from the door." She waved a dismissive hand at him, without moving a solid inch, mentally urging him to hush. She wanted to see if the pigtailed boy was stupid enough to challenge the temper impassioned Akane any further than he had.

Not hearing anything for a good span of time, she moved her head away from the door, just barely missing a projectile pillow thrown by her fiance. Ryoga feigned innocence as he laid across the bed, his ruggedly handsome features fighting back a smile. She blinked and a second later she was a blur as she crossed the room in one fell swoop, landing soundly on top of him.

"What did I tell you, and your need to throw things at my head?"

"I _thrust_ things at your head all the time, beloved. How different is this from any other time?" She smoothed a hand up his chest, hesitating then gathering a handful of his shirt in her hands. "Why...you..." She was promptly cut off as Ryoga shifted right, bringing her up under him. Waggling his eyebrows at her, she smiled as he lowered himself, inhaling her scent, then kissing the space just below her ear lightly.

"I'm not ready to leave this bedroom just yet, Ucchan. Just ignore everything that's happening outside the door, for a moment would ya?"

"The way things are playing out, we may not get a lot of alone time, eh pig-boy?" Ukyo buried her hands in his hand, loving the way it felt in her hands. "This whole situation is a big gigantic mess. Have you figured anything out yet?"

He raised his head from the warm crook of her neck to look down into her face. He regarded her question with a sigh. "Long of the short. Someone is after BOTH of them. _We_ both know why Ranma may be targeted, he's got a gigantic bulls-eye on his back for all we are concerned. Akane....I don't know. But until then, all we can do is keep them safe...figure this out."

Ukyo twirled a lock of his hair she had caught in between her fingers, a overwrought expression on her face. "Poor Akane..."

"You've known her for less than 24 hours, Ucchan."

"Well, she's sweet and fun, yet I like how she throw a muzzle over that overgrown temper of Ranma's. That alone is a most endearing trait."

Ryoga threw his head back in laughter, as he tightened his arms around his girl, enjoying the time alone with her, He mentally smiled, and blocked out the world outside of his bedroom door for the time being.

_Back at the Kitchen Table, some time later..._

Akane looked up for her rice porridge, to find Ranma not eating any of his, just poking it with the business end of his fork. She didn't need the tension, the strain before she went in. He had, after all, saved her life, and she didn't want him to think her ungrateful. But until he knew what the hell he was doing, what the hell he wanted, she would react to his discombobulated approach time and time again.

"You saved my life, Ranma. I don't think that any of this is your fault. Stop blaming yourself and stop trying to make yourself the soul source of my protection. Don't you think I know how much of a mess this is? I'm not as helpless as you think I am. " When he said nothing, she sighed into her bowl, shaking her head. "You know, it hasn't hit me yet that I almost died yesterday. It seems surreal, like when I woke up, it was all a bad dream. I know that sounds cliché but..."

"Is that why you risked going out without telling me?"

Akane scooped up a glop of the sticky rice, letting it fall back down into the bowl slowly. "You know, when I was three my father started to train me. Martial arts. My mother thought I should be learning womanish stuff, you know how to cook, how to clean, take care of a man. I probably should have listened to her. I know how to actually burn water." She laughed. "Amazing huh? But my father, he said he saw the fighter in me, and so I trained."

A pompous grin was written across his face as he retorted. "And you think that qualifies you to protect yourself?"

"Maybe, maybe not. But I'm not just some helpless woman. I'm not weak. I _am_ strong. And the sooner you recognize that....Oh, you know what? Forget it. Whatever. I _apologize_. Does that make you happy?" She pushed her uneaten bowl to the center of the table, making to leave and wait out the few hours until her three o'clock presentation somewhere else than near this thickheaded man.

As she rounded the corner, she paused when his hand reached out and circled her wrist. "Don't...Don't go. Tell me more about your training...about your father, your family." Akane looked back down at him, seeing if he were joking or not. But the seriousness radiating off of him, told her that he wasn't.

Inwardly stomping her foot, at his forever revolving door thought process. She turned as he released his grip, and grabbed the chair next to his. "There isn't much to say. I am the youngest of three. My father was a good man. My mother was a good woman. My oldest sister is married to the town doctor, my older sister runs the Tokyo Grand. My father runs the dojo that I'm supposed to inherit as soon as I get married. Which means I probably won't be inheriting anything." She giggled at that, wondering why her father would make it her dowry and inheritance, how that was supposed to work was beyond her.

"And your mother?"

Akane cleared her throat and the surprising pain behind her eyes. "S-She died when I was four...maybe five. I don't remember."

Ranma inwardly smacked his head. He reached across the table to squeeze her hand, beating himself up for bringing it up. "I'm sorry, Akane."

Akane took her hand back. "What are you sorry for? You couldn't have known. Matter of fact, we know nothing about each other. We are practically strangers, you and I."

"Strangers? I don't feel that way. I once heard a wise man tell me that "relationships that start under intense circumstances...."

"Hold on, I know that line. Yep. That's from the movie Speed, Einstein."

"Oh, with that pretty American woman." Ranma smiled a crooked smile. "But anyways, the point is, we experienced something crazy yesterday. I _know _you in ways others don't."

"Ha! What? That I'm prone to fainting spells when my luxury sedan is....Oh m'God...."

Ranma head snapped alert her sudden exclamation. "What...Akane...What's wrong?"

"They destroyed my car." The rapid faraway look Akane eyes worried Ranma more than her disappearing act this morning. He didn't know how to react when she damn near paused in real life, and he had no idea how to handle the waterworks that soon followed after. Ranma blinked, desperately wishing Ukyo would appear and save him. _Oh the Kamis have found my one weakness. Female tears. _

Akane had been absolutely fine up until a few seconds ago. She was having a normal conversation with a man who resembled a normal human being. Then for some odd, erratic reason, the thought of her car crossing her mind again caused the fragile string of surreality to snap, the proverbial light switching on in her head, to exactly how close she was to dying yesterday. The one physical materialistic item that was the symbolic epiphany to the entire situation. All the bravado in her earlier speech about being strong, seeped into the ground below her, causing her emotions to throw themselves off balance.

_My car. My car. My car. My life. My life....I almost died._

The next thing she knew was Ranma's swinging her chair outwards so that he could crouch in front of him. He reached out hesitantly to wipe the tears streaming down her face. Sensing his nearness, she reached out and wrapping her arms around his neck, crying into his shoulder. Oblivious to Ranma's discomfort, she continued wailing at the top of her lungs. Ukyo and Ryoga rounded the corner, fearing the worst. Maybe Ranma had truly done it, or maybe she was crying over his dead body that she'd beaten to a pulp. Either way, the crying raised their hackles. Color them surprised when they entered the kitchen to find Akane blubbering all of Ranma, and him looking as if she was crying poisoned tears.

They all gave her some time to calm down, as it appeared to be a combination of anxiety over her upcoming presentation and well, everything else. Rightfully so. Ukyo approached the now sniffling girl, detaching her arms from Ranma's neck. As he got up, she took his seat now facing Akane.

"Akane. Its okay. You can be mad, frustrated, pissed, happy, sad...all of the above. Just know that we've got you, sugar." Akane smiled, feeling foolish for loosing control of her emotions. _I've been in worse situations than this, and crying never helped in the past. _"Thank You Ucchan. I appreciate it. I'm okay." At Ukyo's dubious face, she had to giggle. "No, really. I'm fine. Nervous, that's all. I'm going to go wash my face. Its noon already and I only have a couple of hours to NOT be nervous."

She smiled one last time at Ukyo before turning down the hallway towards the bathroom.

As soon as she left, Uyko turned to Ranma, annoyance set in her features. Ranma threw his hands up, and shook his head. "Hey, I had NOTHING to do with that. All I did was try to make her laugh."

"Great job seeing as the end result was her blubbering all over you like you killed her dog. How did you end up making her cry?"

"No! I didn't...." Ranma ran his hand across his face. "I was trying to find the nerve to apologize, for this morning." He paused and stood to look Ukyo sqaure in the face "I-I should apologize to you to Ukyo. I know she was in safe hands with you this morning. I don't know why I reacted that way. I'm just..."

Ukyo smiled and punched him sisterly in the arm. " I know Ranma. But its not me you have to worry about, I'm use to your obnoxious temper. It's Akane. She's frustrated, and feels alone. That in combination with her temper, well, she may very well kill you." Uyko laughed barked over the quiet of the kitchen, but calmed down enough to get serious again. "Just remember. We aren't in Niigata..."

Ranma nodded and walked from the kitchen, leaving his two friends to whatever was left of breakfast. He turned through the living room , heading towards the window on the far east of the apartment. Opening it, he eased on the fire escape, surveying the lands around him. Tokyo. So much different than Niigata, but still very much the same. It wasn't the landscape or the people of Tokyo that separated them so much. It was the way of life, the lack of freedom versus his total sense of independence here.

He loved this sense of emancipation, but he also knew once word got back to his father of the danger he had faced, he would soon have to give this all up, praying that he survived beforehand. He leaned his back onto the sill of the window, his body slouching into a comfortable position and closing his eyes. He had spent numerous hours out here just thinking and enjoying life. For once in the last few hours he wanted to think of nothing. The girl currently drying her eyes in his bathroom, his best friend and oldest friend in the kitchen, and least of all, his obligations to his family.

* * * * * *

An hour passed relatively easy for Akane and she decided to go ahead and pack it up and make her way towards work. As she reached for her purse, she turned to Ryoga. "Where's Ranma?"

"Out on the stoop in Never Never land. You want me to wake him up for you?" Ryoga made his way towards the window when Akane stopped him. Placing a folded missive down on the coffee table in the living room, she smiled. "Just tell him I'm gone, and that I left him this." She hugged Ryoga, then ruffled his bangs as if he were a little child. "I'm going to borrow your fiancee for a while. Think you can manage while she's gone?"

Ryoga huffed, but smirked at her. "That woman doesn't know how to survive without me. You two will be back tonight anyways."

Akane shoulders bunched up in obvious confusion. "I thought the plan was for Ucchan and me to hightail it to my apartment, where I'll be away from _him_ and the _danger._" Mock disdain and sarcasm covered her face as she spoke, undoubtedly towards the sleeping young man slightly out of hearing range out on the fire escape.

Ryoga laughed and pointed towards his fiance. "Well the bonehead has decided after this mornings 'mishap', that we would be safer in numbers. Any idiot would have figured it out sooner, but he's so hotheaded that we have to forgive his ignorance. Tactics isn't his strong point."

_Then why was the moron left in charge? _"Sooo...."

"Come here after when you're done with work."

Akane nodded, seemingly pleased with being able to stay here than have her and Ukyo try to wing out this protection thing at her apartment. She felt safer here, and didn't think she would feel safer at her apartment, no matter what the pigtailed boy had said.

"Akane..."

She turned to face Ryoga once again. "Good luck, Tendo."

She smiled. "Thank you." Turning to Uyko, "Ready, Freddy?" Ukyo beamed, turned to blow a kiss at her fiancee and headed towards the door with a wink."As I'll ever be."

The two bounded out the door, Akane seemingly back into her calm _modus operandi, _gathering herself for a hopefully a semblance of normalcy today. Without her car, which she had to take another moment to rebalanced herself, but was at one hundred percent by the time they reached Ryoga's sedan parked in the attached garage to the apartment complex. Ukyo snapped into guardian mode the moment they approached the car, checking for anything unusual, such as, maybe a car bomb or anything else ridiculously cliché that the enemy would try to use against them.

Just to be completely sure, she reached into the small duffel bag she had swung across her shoulder, reaching and pulling out a thin, but long piece of gadgetry, one that Akane had never seen before. "Don't tell me...."

"Yes, sir-in-deedy, my good lady. Ranma's. He actually modified it last night. Stinking mad scientist...."

"Well, what the hell is it?"

"A.....uh....." Ukyo shrugged roughly, "A ...'thingermagigerbob?... Hell I don't know. All I know is that it sweeps the car for, explosives and if happens to find the damn thing, it searches a database, finds a way to disarm it...and then disarms it." She said simply. "Ryoga's probably upstairs now, monitoring the computer, that its hooked up to."

Akane cocked a elegant, yet skeptical eyebrow towards her hairline. "You expect me to believe, the idiot currently occupying space and good quality air on the fire escape, came up with a device that even the Imperial army doesn't have equipped within their forces? Give me a break."

"I wouldn't believe it either, seeing how dense he _seems_ sometimes, but like I said last night, the man is smart." She started a horizontal sweep over the car. "I'm starting to think, that he thinks that whole 'Blockhead-I'm Tarzan-You Jane-Casanova breed of distinguished charm he's developed, is cute. Me and Ryoga are in agreement, by the way, that you are slowly making him see the error his ways." She smirked at Akane's blush as she finished the scan, it reporting nothing attached to or wired into their car to make them, you know....die.

Akane eyed Ukyo from the side as she threw the device back into her bag. She grabbed at Akane's wrist again, while simultaneously pulling out her phone. "Heh, just wanted to make sure this thing was working", tapping at the seemingly forgotten bracelet she was handed last night.

"I feel like I've been in a bad version of Kurotokage since yesterday" Akane murmured as she opened the door and slid into the passenger side. She turned to Ukyo as she slid in as well.

Ukyo lifted a surprised eyebrow at Akane, taken back by the obvious, to everybody but Akane, connection. "Kurotokage....that terrible spy movie from the sixties? The one with the cross dressing lead?"

Akane hesitated. "Cross dressing...Um....no, but the spy part, yeah."

Ukyo laughed nervously, but quickly shut her mouth to avoid saying something she may regret. She mentally snorted. _None of my business, let Ranma tell her...or not tell her, whatever is clever. _

Ukyo turned the ignition to the car, and backed out of their space, turning towards the main street. Her and Akane feel into easy conversation, to take their mind off the events of the last couple of hours and to calm Akane even further from her big presentation. Slipping into the first normal feeling she's had since yesterday, she leaned her head against the headrest and enjoyed Ukyo animated banter all the way down the road.

* * * * * * * *

"Where are you?"

The GMRS/FRS walkie-talkie buzzed then a muffled voice was overheard. "At the pick up point, two blocks from Tokyo Central. Half a click counter-clock wise from the entrance of the Taichou garage."

"Half a click? Counter-clock wise? What? Where the hell are you?"

"I'm in _position_, boss."

"Well...Good. Just be ready to intercept about eight minutes. They are leaving the garage now."

"Ten Four, Boss." The voice on the other end of the line, audibly sighed. "Ten Four is for police. We aren't police. Just say Yes. 'Okay' will do if your that addle brained. ..."

"Copy that, Roger, Over and Out."

"Sasuke..." He held the walkie-talkie away from him as her nervously envisioned his boss tightening their grip around the device in anger.

"Okay, boss. I''ll be there."

"Oh one, more think Sasuke. Don't fail me again. Your first task was a complete and utter failure."

The black passenger van slowly eased out of the darkened alley it was hiding in, following the sedan carrying with two unsuspecting females, down Tokyo streets.

**A/N: Ooooh Action again! Action is fun. Chapter Four is action-y.....**


	4. Chapter 4

A/N:

A Delicate Covenant

Hamlet:

"O villain, villain, smiling, damned villain!"

-Hamlet

Ryoga smiled as he fancied memories of the take charge attitude his girl had as she left the apartment building. He'd rather received an actual kiss from her as she hurried out the door, but she was so bloodthirsty for action, that the kiss was a passing thought to her. He couldn't blame her, they were bred, raised and trained for this sort of circumstances, for sitting in the house playing babysitter was definitely not their cup of tea.

Bringing himself back to reality, he inclined his head, to get a better look at the 'napping' young man, still out on the fire escape. Sighing he made his way towards the open window, his hands stuffed deep into the pockets of his jeans. Placing on foot on the opposite side of the window to land on the fire escape grating, he wasn't surprised when he saw the pigtail boy jump slightly.

" You've been awake for the last twenty minutes. That little act of feigning sleep only fooled the woman. It'll take more than that to.."

"Oh, shut it up already. I was awake, so what." As Ranma looked up at his friend still standing, straddling the window sill, he frowned. "Either you're coming out here to bother me, or you want to prove your point and leave. Make up your mind."

"Hmph. They say usually giving a _baby _a nap soothes him. Obviously not true in your case." Ryoga quietly chuckled while the other rolled his eyes up at him in annoyance. "So. Now that the lady folk are gone. Out with it."

"Out with what?"

"You know. I've known you for a pretty long damn time. I _know, _not in the biblical sense of course, but I know you well enough to know when you're acting up and acting out. Out with it."

"I have the faintest idea of what your babblin' at, pigboy." Ranma chanced a look over at Ryoga, and was a little uneasy at the steely look he was boring into his head. Ranma suffered the look a few minutes more, then averted his eyes and lowered his head.

"Okay! I know! I know it's not right. I get that. I understand it's not a possibility. But..." Ranma struggled to find the words as he looked into his open hands. "When you first met Ucchan. How did you feel?"

"Hungry."

He rolled his eyes at the man's simplistic answer. "Other than stuffing your face full of food...."

"... And besides the stirring of my loins?"

"Yes, you fool. Besides that."

"I felt peaceful when I was around her." He threw a hand behind his head, easing into the memory. "She was rumored to be some kind of man-eating feminist psychopath. Watching her in training, you'd believe the rumors to be absolutely true. But when I met her, when I was around her, I knew instantly that either the rumors were untrue, or she'd never been around someone who's head she didn't want to bite off." Ryoga glanced at Ranma, who was still pre-occupied with his hands. "Is that how you feel around....

"I don't...No. I don't feel at peace or in my moment of zen or whatever. I feel energized...anxious. As if I were to let my guard down, she'd knock me on my ass. But I'd be okay because I wouldn't have to worry at the origin or the motives behind her feelings....its hard to explain."

"Yeah. I can tell." Throwing a sympathetic but puzzled look towards the other man. "But Ranma...you've only known her...for...what twenty-four hours? This isn't one of those ridiculous cases of love at first sight is it?"

"No! I don't _love _her. I do care for her. I mean how can I not, I almost got her killed."

"That's responsibility, not adoration. You obviously care about her because you simply care about her. Has nothing to do with the last couple of hours."

"And plus, I've _technically_ only known her for a day, but I've practically drooled over her existence for the last six months. That in itself is longer than any of my last girlfriends."

"You're forgetting about Sango." Ryoga kept a deceptively collected face as he said it, but found it hard as laughter bubbled up on the inside.

"I was seven years old, Ryoga. I hardly think that counts."

"Ooh, ho. But you sure were a fine mess around her. All the messy love letters and...." A thought struck Ryoga as he reached inside of his shirt pocket and fished out a neatly folded peace of paper. "Speak of the devil. Your fair lady left you a note." Ranma raised a surprised brow, as he reached to take the note. "When did she leave this?"

"When you were out here playing zombie for her benefit."

Ranma ignored the last barb thrown at him, as Ryoga made his way inside. Deciding he had spent enough time "contemplating life" for one day, he hurriedly followed him into the house, intent on sitting down to read the short note in his hands. Once he made it to the safety of his couch, he sat back to read.

_Saotome._

_Thank you, for listening, for...you know....saving my life and all. _

_Don't worry, I'll be careful so you don't have a embolism and find another reason to share with us all of your manly chest beating protection._

_Keep your thoughts bright and hopefully you would have found a better attitude by the time I get back *smile*_

_I'll see you later._

_Akane_

A lazy grin slid across his face as he finished the note. He made to ball up the tiny missive, but on second thoughts folded it back up and slipped in into his shirt pocket.

Ryoga entered the room again, finding Ranma grinning like a Cheshire cat. "I'm hoping that little letter was everything you wanted and more."

"I'm not sure, but having to tell you to shut the hell up every five minutes must be taking years off my life."

"Well you should try holding your tongue then." As soon as he plopped down opposite of Ranma, Ryoga pulled out the familiar manilla envelope, sliding a finger under the red tape to loosen it. "We need to discuss this, now that we can talk freely without fear of a certain lady waltzing in on us, and bringing the roof down over our heads. "

Ranma with a tight smile, he nodded in agreement. Reaching around to grab his laptop bag, he began fishing around until he came across a long, flat and thin secured briefcase, wrapped in a dull, rigid black metal. Cracking both locks that were anchoring it closed, the case slowly opened. Softly protected in egg crate black foam, was another case, containing a simplistic, relatively normal looking compact disk. Withdrawing the disk from its case, Ranma slid it into the drive of laptop and waited for it to load.

"Okay, this disk is the only known copy of Yangupawa to exist at the current time. All other copies were destroyed after the Baku incident last Spring."

"Are you sure of that, because that would definitely be enough motive for the attacks if you were the only one in Japan carrying this software."

"It should have never leaked out in the first place!" Ranma exclaimed as he brought his fist down hard on the top of the coffee table. "Those test trials were never to be conducted, because they weren't supposed to have known about it to begin with. Whoever provided the laboratory with the information off this compact disk must have been following its development…."

Ryoga looked across the table to his friend, who after months was still tormented by the incident that took eight men's lives last spring. "That…that wasn't your fault. Don't think your design, your development was the cause of that. Those tests were conducted without authorization from you, your father or the council." He reached across and laid a comforting hand on the pig-tailed man's shoulder, before returning his concentration back to the disk.

Ranma inhaled deeply, releasing the trapped breath slowly. "Nonetheless, something in the calculations was wrong. The software was supposed to cipher the particles, and enhance them, not suck the life out of the men. And I figured it all out, worked out all of the miscalculations and fed them into the software prototype, late last week. That's what's in the envelope, the corrected information. The only thing we are missing now is the catalyst."

"Which is…."

Ranma shrugged. "I formulated the improved version to only work in theory. By leaving out the missing step, the catalyst, it can't fall into the wrong hands until I find what I need to actually power it correctly. The miscalculations and the missing catalyst were the cause of the men's death. I understand that now."

"Okay, I'm going to surmise that's the true reason behind the attacks. You agree?" At Ranma's baited agreement, Ryoga hesitated before turning back to his friend. "Destroy the disk, Ranma."

Ranma head shot up in surprised confusion. "What do you mean '_destroy the disk_?' This is the only remaining copy; the only duplication with the exact configurations. If this is destroyed, then there is no…."

"It is a liability, one that works in theory and not in practice. It needs to be destroyed."

"You don't even want to take into consideration, if this were to work, how many people would benefit from this? How many people we could help?"

Ryoga had thought of all of those things, thought long and hard, but his answer was the most logical solution he could think of. "Without that disk there is no more threat to you, the council or to _her._ Take THAT into consideration._"_

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

For it to be the middle of January, it was unseasonable warm, as Ukyo reached between the consoles to turn the air on. She slid the back of her hand across her moist forehead, making a disdainful face towards the weather.

"Geez, Japan is supposed to be a winter wonderland right now. Me, this sweater and the Sun God up there are having a difficult time getting along today, I'll tell ya." She reached down below her seat belt, grabbing the hem of said sweater. Yanking it up, she let the cool breeze of the frosted air blow up under the fabric.

Akane smirked over at the woman who was surprisingly become a fast friend. In the short ten minute ride from the apartment, she had learn an armful of information about the lovely Ukyo. Not that she had a choice, because from the moment they turned from the garage, she'd had her mouth cranked to full blast, with no hopes in sight of turning it off. She had dived deep, mostly about how her and Ranma had been friends forever, even before she could remember. She knew a lot of things about him, not everything, but enough to be satisfied with the strength of the relationship. When Akane ventured out to ask about how she met Ryoga, she had to giggle at how the girl's cheeks went red and her eyes sparkled in the memory.

"_Okonomiyak_i." She had simple stated. When Akane turned a questioning sideways glance at Ukyo, the woman lifted her hands off the wheel, shrugging, Akane had to reach over to grab the wheel as if drifted off into another lane. "Whoa! Heh heh,sorry about that. But yeah," as she took the wheel back from Akane, "Okonomiyaki. See my family, that's our business. For as long as I can remember, it was Pops over a grill, Momma mixing ingredients. That's what we did."

"Well...that's very nice, Ucchan. But what does that have to do with how you met your fiance? You met him in your family's okonomiyaki shop? "

"Oh, yeah! Him? No, I didn't met him there." Akane blinked, scratching her temple in confusion. Ukyo laughed as she noticed the confusion blatantly written across Akane's face. "You see, my mother and father both died when I was young...not so young where I don't remember their faces, yet old enough to miss them. But that's besides the point."

Although still very much confused, Akane laid a hand on Ukyo's shoulder in sympathy, but it only caused the woman's smile to intensify. "After they died, I joined a different profession, which put me in the position to train. Very hard. And THAT's how I met Ryoga. On the job." She placed her hand on her chin, tapping it with the ends of her fingers .

"So the Okonomiyaki had nothing to do with it...

"No, they did."

"........"

"One night after a particularly hard... workout, I was in the kitchen, making one. See, I got homesick during training a lot, and making them soothes me or whatnot. He came sniffing around the kitchen, saw me, took and seat and the rest is history. We became friends...then lovers...then engaged. Been together ever since."

"That was..."

"Yeah, the condensed version. He tells a more romantic version of it, equipped with Shakespearean quotes and all..." She rolled her eyes at him, "although one would say he may exaggerate a little."

"I wouldn't put it past him." Akane said laughing. She turned to look at the street sign, noticing they were close. "Our turn should be the next one, take this right and we can pull up to the parking garage from the back street." Ukyo followed her directions, but as they turned the corner, the scene before them suddenly made the two women realize how rash and unplanned this may have been.

The garage was covered in yellow tape, slashing and wrapping around it like bandages. Cones had been set out blocking every conceivable entrance, while the exit gates where all down, preventing anyone from exiting. Police cars and policemen were massed inside of the lower level of the parking deck, gathered particularly around one section of it, where less than 24 hours ago, a luxury sedan had the misfortune to be the target of a car bomb.

Akane jerked from her relaxed position, so hard in her surprise that she had to throw her hands out to stop herself from colliding with the deck. Her eyes fluttered closed and a long suffering moan seeped from her lips as her hands clenched and unclenched in pure anxiety.

"I want to know what kind of mental conniption I had last night, to think that my car _exploding _wouldn't draw the attention of the damn police. Shit!" Akane threw her head into her open hands, fighting the urge to yank every last strange of her now cropped hair from her head.

Ukyo snapped from her confused enchantment of the scene before her. "Well you're not alone. We were all so wrapped up in every other thought concerning this, the police were an afterthought." Ukyo crawled slowly along side of the garage, trying her hardest to see past the gate that was blocking most of the visual activity going on inside of the garage. "Well, they are still investigating and not calling and arresting...so that's positive right?"

At that exact moment, a shrill ringing rang clear, jolting Akane even more than she wished. She turned towards her purse, scrambling to locate the jingling cellphone. Retrieving it with shaky hands, she looked down at the Caller ID. "Just PER-fect..." She held up a single finger to signal to Ukyo to stay quiet and pressed the talk button on her PDA phone.

"H-Hello Hinamora-san....Where am I?" Akane turned towards Ukyo, a helpless frown written on her countenance. "I'm..." A rapid smile brightened Akane's face as she halted her speech. The woman on the other end could be heard loudly and animated as she spoke. "Yes! I understand. Thank you!"

Akane hung up the phone, a satisfied and exhilarated grace upon her lips. She suddenly thrust her fist into the air, but as it smarted up against the interior roof of the car, she winced. She clutched her first to her chest, but the pain must have not been all too terrible because laughter bubbled, her cheeks red.

Ukyo face slanted in utter confusion as she stared at the woman. _She's cracked. She's finally lost it. "_Hey...you over there caught in the fits of barmy maniacal laughter. Are you okay? I can always take you to a hospital...." and under her breath "....to get your head checked out."

Her laughter stopped short as she turned a smug eye towards Ukyo. "I heard that." At Ukyo's cheeky grin, Akane held up her phone. "That was my boss. Obviously everyone here knows about the accident but the police don't have any suspects or any clue who's car it was...yet." The russet haired woman eyes widen in understanding. "So they don't know. Well doesn't that mean you can still go present your..."

"Nope. When the Doulcher found out about the explosion late last night and canceled. But only one problem."

"I knew it was too good to be true."

"It seems there was a security camera that captured everything, but was damaged in the explosion. She was told by her supervisor that it was the only lead. So that's TWO reasons why we aren't going to step foot in this building."

"You know Akane." Ukyo's thumbs fidgeted around the girth of the steering wheel. "You probably would be safer under the police's guard...."

"Poppycock. One, I feel safer with you, Ryoga...even Ranma at this point. Don't ask me why, I don't know. I just feel it. And two, we have no idea who and who isn't involved. I don't want to run the risk of having to give a report, and at the same time give away information that should be confidential to the four of us at this point."

Ukyo's eyebrows shot up at the girls bravado and quick thinking. _Ranma told me she was a graphic communicator. Yet she acts as if this is an everyday occurrence...save the crying meltdown she had in the kitchen this morning._ "Good point, dear. The only option we have left is to go back to the apartment, and go put up with the fine graces of _your_ darling Ranma."

Akane deadpanned at the girl before turning away with her nose in the air. "Hn. You get funnier by the minute. Let's get out of here."

* * *

Sasuske head lifted higher of the steering wheel column, his short stature hindering a full visual of the road ahead of him. Nevertheless when he spotted the gray sedan turning on the street he knew the police would be directing traffic towards, he revved up his engine.

His objective was simple. Get the girl. And so far he had failed twice. Earlier in the week, unbeknownst to her, he had found his way into her apartment building and had waited patiently for her to get off work. He had staked out several hours on the third floor of her building, hiding in the cramped air conditioning ducts that lined the hallways. But after several hours had passed, and no blue hair-brown eyed woman in sight, he checked in with his boss.

Relaying his position, he was told sternly that the woman resided on the fifth floor, and that he had missed his chance to nab her. His second attempt was an even bigger blunder, as he almost killed her. For some odd miscalculated reason, the thought never occurred to him that she would be_ inside _of the car. He had wired the car to blow 30 seconds after she fired her engine. He had carefully watched her for days, knowing she started her engine as soon as she hit the garage floor. It took a full minute to get from the building's exit to her car on the other side of the deck, so he figured his calculations would leave enough timing all for the explosion, with her panicked and unsuspecting as the perfect opportunity to collect her.

The one thing he didn't count on was her being in the company of someone else. He definitely didn't count on that someone else being Ranma Saotome, the other thorn on his side. _Small world. Very...very small world. _The second thing he didn't expected was for the blasted bomb not detonating after the thirty seconds. Still he threw his car into drive and tried to run them off the road in his escape. There was no way he would be able to grab her, and fight off _him. _His job was to kidnap, not die.

So that lead to his current third and most likely last chance. So as he edge himself onto the road after they'd passed him, unsuspecting of the passenger van looming in the shadows of the building, he figure there was no way he could mess this one up. And_ even _if he were to someone fail, he had backup. One phone call and he would be aided. Sasuske patted the walkie-talkie in his lap as he smiled. Sliding his shade down from his fabric covered head, he snapped into alert and sped up.

* * * * *

Ukyo nervously glanced to her rear view mirror, noticing a dark van that had been precariously following them at a safe distance for quite some time now. At first she hadn't paid the van much mind. This was a long one way street that the police directed them down, so of course he would be there every time she looked back. But they had been off the one way street for about five minutes and he had kept pace with her, turn for turn. _Whoever this is, is bad at being discrete, because blending in with a huge van like that is damn near impossible. Geez, can we get a break! There is tomfoolery at every corner! _

Keeping her face forward, she spoke, directing her words to Akane without moving her lips. "There is someone following us in a black passenger van...." Akane made to look behind them, but Ukyo caught her hand. "Don't look at them. I don't want them to know that _I know_ they are following us, understood. Keep your face forward."

Akane eeped loudly and corrected her posture, joining Ukyo in the face forward arrangement. "H-How..."

"I don't know, but they sure picked a fine time to jump us, seeing as its just us females....is your seat belt on?"

"Yes it is..." But before she could get the sentence out of her mouth, Ukyo pulled a hard right, U-turning the car to the other side of the road. Akane screamed as she was smashed into the opposite door of the car. Missing traffic but mere inches, she slammed her foot down on the pedal. She weaved in and out between the two cars just in front of her before she spared a look back. The van attempted to copy her maneuver, but because of the bulk of the van, floating briefly on two wheels before landing back on the payment with a loud thud. After over correcting themselves twice, they straighten the van out and gave chase.

"Shit shit shit shit shit....." Ukyo glanced over to Akane who had a white knuckled grip on the cushions of her seat, but said nothing. Sweat was rolling down Ukyo's face but she decidedly kept her composure, considering the circumstances. "Its cool," Ukyo said in a unconvincingly impassive voice. She fancied another glance behind and upon seeing that the van had caught up to them considerably, she jerked the wheel, changing lanes as they crossed under the light at another intersection.

The car that was next to them turned off, leaving the space beside the car open. The van accelerated and matched her speed, and was now side by side with the sleek gray car. Ukyo tried to look into the cabin of the can, but all she could manage to see was the top of a maroon swathed head behind the wheel. She also saw as the person behind the wheel of the van pulled up on the steering wheel, careening his vehicle into her lane. Seconds later both women were jerked from their seats and the van rammed broadside of them, their car weaving uncontrollably for a few frightening seconds before Ukyo gained control again. Akane was caught in a silent scream and Uyko brain was turning a mile a minute. A idea hit her around the same time as the van rammed into the side of their car again, knocking the idea loose from her mind. She glanced behind her one last time, and upon seeing no one, she threw an arm out protectively in front of Akane and slammed on her brakes.

The van reacted slower and by the time it had slowed, the driver had lost sight of them. Banging his diminutive hands up against the steering wheel, he cursed. "I've got to find them gotta find them gotta find them!" He threw the van into reverse, retracing the last few seconds he had them in his sights.

Akane and Ukyo, though, had turned down a side street moments after they slammed on brakes, lurching the car around to go in the opposite direction. "Ha! We lost the little shit! Hold on Akane. We need to get back and we need to get back NOW." Ukyo raced down the streets of Tokyo, taking the back way to Ranma's apartment.

When they arrived at the apartment, they quickly jumped out of the car and into the building, taking two and three steps at a time. Ukyo was the quicker of the two, so she reached the door first, pulling her "classified" key out, she hastily unlocked the door and ran inside.

They both found Ranma and Ryoga crouched over the coffee table in the living room, the manila envelope that Akane remembered from the his office slung to the side. Several pieces of paper were scattered between them, and a flat secured case sat directly in the middle of the table. Ranma grabbed for it, pushing the envelope and case off onto the floor. Ignoring her split second questioning glare, he quickly stood up and paced over to the two out of breath women.

"What the hell is going on? Are you two alright?"

Ukyo spoke up first, steadying herself up against Ranma's broad shoulder. "Some...one...someone is after us. We're being chased. We need to pack up and move out, now."

"Who is chasing you? Did you see their faces?" Ryoga sprung seconds after Ranma, reaching across his to pull his girl to his side. "_Koishii,_ are you alright? Look at me." He said this as he gently slipped a finger under her chin, raising her face up towards him.

"I'm fine. We're fine. We made it to the workplace, but it was surrounded by cops. After Akane found out she didn't have to give her report, we made to come back, but some short stump of a man in a black van followed us, until I lost him. We ran back here...." She was interrupted as Ranma grabbed for Akane, and bodily hauled her down the hallway and into his room.

To say Akane was surprised was an understatement. She watched him rip and roar through his room, tearing clothes out of his dresser and throwing them about the room. Amazed, his deranged approach surprisingly reached out and soothed her, finding comfort that she wasn't the only one whose nerves were frazzled. She watched in maddening curiosity as he searched for something, but was unable to find it.

"Ranma...what are you...." Her mouth gaped open and then soundly closed as he crossed the room back towards her, a decisive visage splayed across his devilishly handsome face. He pushed an object into her hand. Confused, she looked down into her hands, seeing the small black matte handgun, she quickly started shaking her head. "W-W-What do you want me to do with this?"

"What do you think, Akane?"

"I've never...I wouldn't know the first thing about it."

Ranma started, but then turned around and reached for it, removing it from her hands. "C'mere. I'mma give you a very quick lesson, because if what you say is true, we need to get out of here, fast." Akane moved to his side as he held the gun out for her again, hesitating to pick it up. "I'm a martial artist, Ranma. I don't need this."

He reached out, dropping the gun into her hands. With a meaningful but very soft look in his eyes, he smiled before moving behind her. "I understand, Akane, I really do. I know you're more than capable of defending yourself....but...take this, learn how to use it....for me._ Please_."

He took her silence as acceptance and reached down to grab her wrist."Now, hold it like this." He took his free hand place the gun correctly, and wrapped her slim fingers around the gun, leaving her pointer finger on the outside of the trigger guard. "There is a button here, that when you are ready to shoot, disengages the safety. The gun won't fire otherwise. I'm going to let go of your hand. Tell me if you can manage to hold the pistol up with one hand." Upon seeing that it only dipped slightly when he released her hand, he nodded but didn't move from his position from behind her.

Akane knew that she should be concentrating. This was a life or death situation. But his close proximity was reeking havoc on her senses. Every breath he released fanned across her ears, hitting the sensitive spot right in the crook of her neck. She had to physically stop her body from shuddering. She shook her head and forced herself. _You really are something there Akane. Don't tell me you're one of those girls that get all gooey from the thrill of the....stop it! Concentrate! _Akane bit down her lip and zoned in to catch the last words of his sentence.

"....the kickback is pretty strong, so if you think your going to have to pull on the trigger, use your other hand like this." He ran his hand down the length of her left arm, noticing the goosebumps but said nothing about them. He raised left hand to the base of her right as the support for the handgun. "You got it?"

His hands had now moved back up her arms to rest softly on the inner edges of her shoulder, his thumbs softly drawing lazy circles on the column of her spine. Akane lowered the gun slightly, looking back at him over her shoulder. _Danger Akane! Danger! Move! _But she didn't move, found herself in the midst of mayhem, content in the few seconds that seemed like time was slowing, to just look at him.

He gently came up to rest his forehead up against hers, his eyes fluttering close. "I'm not scared, ya know. I'm fine..." Although Akane's shaking voice would have proved otherwise, Ranma believed her. "I know. I don't know why and I don't know how. You're almost handling this better than me. But that just makes me like you more..." He decidedly laid a very soft kiss on the tip of her shoulder blade, smiling inwardly as he felt a slight shiver.

"Ranma....."

She started but was fiercly interrupted as she heard Ryoga scream out Ranma's name from the living room. Snapping out of their trance, Ranma grabbed Akane by her free hand and ran them both into the hallway. From their vantage point they could see Uyko and Ryoga rammed up against the door, every couple of seconds their bodies jolted, as it sounded like someone from the other side was trying to break the door down.

"Where the hell have you two been?!" Looking from face to face, Ryoga shook his head. "Doesn't matter. We've got about a handful of seconds before they are successful in breaking down this door. We've only got one choice." He eyed the fire escape. "We're going to have to make a run for it. Ukyo and Akane go first."

Ranma took Ukyo's place by the door and leaned against it with his back facing towards the window. He reached across the vast of the apartment, seeking her eyes. Searching, he found what he was looking for and rewarded her with his every cocky grin. "I'm right behind you. Go...." She nodded firmly and reached out to grab Ukyo who was lost in a moment with her fiance, her head resting on his chest, ignoring the continuous lurch coming from the other side.

They reached the window and climbed out on the metal grating of the fire escape. Without even thinking they both fled to the stairs, taking each step with as much speed and precision they could muster. As they rounded down one floor, Akane felt Ukyo solidly grab her by the shoulder, the force making her wince.

"Bad guys, 3 o clock....."

Akane looked down to her right to see a group of men, clad in black at the bottom of the fire escape. As soon as they noticed they had been spotted the flew up the stairs as an alarming speed. Akane in her panic began to reach down to grab the gun, but ceased her actions as soon as the first man appeared within arms length of her. "Oh, fuck this! I don't know how to shoot the damn thing!" Abandoning the gun, she glanced at Uyko. And a second later the lines of her shape bled as she _flew _across the thin grating, advancing on her attacker. Her speed caught the man off guard for a second, long enough for Akane step slightly past him to deliver a skull cracking blow.

You could have colored Ukyo surprised as hell as she watch the blue hair woman move with speed she didn't know she possessed. _Really...who is this woman!?_ She continued to watch as Akane grabbed at the railing, using her upward momentum to jump over, her paired feet landing solidly into the chest of another approaching attacker.

Deciding now was a time not to be a spectator and to join in on their own escape, Uyko charged down the stairs behind Akane. Curling her fingers, she met the first attacker with a forceful upward lunge, taking the flat of her palm against the fragile bones of his nose. She had a few seconds to watch his nose crack and begin to bleed before she moved onto the next person. As she rounded onto the flatter section of the fire escape, she thrust her hand against the grating, using its back-force to kick upwards, landing a kick squarely into the side of the man who had tried a more aerial assault. Finally catching up to Akane who had stopped short at the very last floor of the fire escape.

Sighing, seeing that the few men the two had taken out where only a few of many. Looking around she saw the two of them were virtually surrounded, forcing them back up the stairs of the fire escape.

Back in the apartment, Ryoga and Ranma were still leaning against the door, when the forceful assault from the other door paused. This caught them both unaware, for a second they relaxed while sparing the door a confused look. Without warning a large hand splintered the wood of the door, causing both men to fall back. Ryoga sat there wide eyed and the fist's charging blow practically destroyed their door in a few punches, a wide gaping whole allowed the two men inside to see the handful of men outside. Dressed in all black, they hovered just outside of the door, when a man who was obviously the owner of the mammoth fist and even larger feet, raised his foot to kick down the remaining wood from its hinges.

Ryoga took a defensive stance just in front of Ranma, and fisted his knuckles in anticipation of their attack. Ryoga looked back to Ranma and gave a cheeky smile. "I guess they took us pretty seriously, to bring ten guys for just the two of us." Easing his neck to the side, chuckling at the audible pops of his neck, he repeated it with the other side and then called out to the men. "Tip number one. Its the middle of the day, guys. Black blends in at night." At hearing this, the men filed into the small apartment, gunning for the two men pinpointed inside.

The first couple of men reached Ryoga. One fist flied at Ryoga's head, the slow speed of it giving him enough time to block it with flat of his arm, his other fist coming hard up against his attackers rib. The punch lands and he watches momentarily while the body crumples to the floor, but within seconds he found himself ducking as the second attackers foot flew threw the air. Balling both of his fist, he kicked one leg out behind him taking one man out, while he thrust his fist forward into the stomach of the man who had tried to kick him seconds before. For good measure, he drove his elbow into the man's black draped back as he collapsed to the floor to join some of his teammates.

Ranma on the other hand, was driving his knee into the abdomen of his attacker, who had surprised him by landing a punch. After he threw the limp body of the breathless man to the ground, the he spun on the balls of his feet, landing a solid kick across the faces of the two men behind him,the force of the kick driving the men back to crash on the floor as well. A fourth man advanced aggressively towards him, Ranma dodge an powerful uppercut punch, which left the man's right flank wide open. Driving a knuckled fist into his side, he watched as the man adsorbed the blow with pain but remained upright. Ranma ducked, shoving his leg out, he spun in his crouched position, sweeping the man's feet out in front of him. When he landed a few sparse inches away from him, Ranma grabbed him, fisting his hands into the haori of the man below him.

"Alright you pot sticking fucker! Who sent you?"

The man sent a coldy defiant look at Ranma and swung his view over to the burly man still standing by the door. The man took two steps foward and then halted, a cool smile playing across his lips. He shook his head. "Who sent us shouldn't be your main concern right now. I would wonder about the fate of The Inochi."

"The Ino-who?" He quirked an angry brow at the man, completely confused at his notion.

"We serve a master who is indeed after the Yangupawa…and the Inochi. You have both of these….artifacts in your possession. You are to hand them over, and we will spare the life of your friends."

Ranma guffawed loudly at the bigger prodigious man who stood defiantly in his living room as if this was an everyday occurrence. "Spare our lives? Look around, you flat footed imbecile. We have the upper hand here, not you."

The man's cool demeanor hardly shifted at he glared at Ranma. "…And what of your two female companions?'

As if on cue, the two women appeared at the window, both being reared back into the apartment, a group of equally black adorned attackers in front of them. Uyko turned a fiery head towards the two men. "What happened to 'right behind you'?"

"Well, we kind of got caught up in here, if you haven't noticed?" Ryoga replied, definitely not in the mood for her quirky attitude at the moment. "Just...stay close, don't try anything stupid." He could feel the proverbial daggers being tossed his way, but he chose to ignore them for the bigger picture at hand. Swinging his gaze towards the tall herculean man occupying the space between him and the doorway, he smirked. "So, big guy, you're the leader of this commiserable group of fighters, eh?"

A voice, that strangely sounded like it was coming from the midsection of the man was heard, causing Ryoga to quirk a confused bewildered towards the warrior. "...your stomach growls sure do sound like a tiny …."

"You call me tiny and you'll have bigger problems on your hand other than Taro here, got it wise guy?" Following that statement, a pair of legs led the way from behind the bigger man to reveal a samurai clad man of short stature. Beady eyes and an indefatigable countenance scanned the room and his eyes locked on the female form of Uyko. "You were the one driving the car weren't you? I commend your skills behind the wheel, young lady."

Ukyo let a snicker past her lips and she eyes the diminutive person before her. "Makes sense now that I couldn't see you! How did you see over the wheel! You're an itty-bitty.."

Sasuske cleared his voice loudly, danger playing in his eyes. "Enough!" Turning his attention to Ranma, he stepped closer to the man, but still stayed out of arm's length. "As Taro stated. Hand over the Inochi and your friends lives will be spared. My boss, expressed a deep wish for no harm to come to you or the Inochi's way, and I am being merciful by allowing you the option of their lives."

"Hmph. You little shit, ya' got two options. Tell me what the fuck you're talking about and leave or I can beat it out of you and kindly escort you leaky shit stains over the balcony."

Sasuske rolled his eyes at Ranma, then snapped his fingers, and the giant man became a blur as he moved nimbly from Sasuke's side to Akane's in a second's breath. Before she could utter a word, he had snatched her arm behind her back and encased her neck with his large hands. Sasuske seemed to lose hold of himself for a second as he pumped a fist into the air, his little body coming off the ground and a shit eating grin across his face. Ranma took a second to throw a confused look his way before immediately turning his attention to the man they called Taro.

"You're not stepping one foot outside of this apartment with Akane." Ranma menacingly cracked his knuckles and his gaze withered. "And that tactic won't work with me." Taking one step towards Taro, readying himself to leap at him, the man applied enough pressure not to cut her breathing off, but enough to solicit a frightened squeak out of the girl. Ranma paused, panic racing through him as he watched the one woman, who had managed to put the smallest crack in his infamously impenetrable walls, in the one type of danger he had tried to avoid. "Look man. We don't know what the hell an Inochi is...but I'll give you the damn envelope for the Yangupawa. Just let Akane go. She has nothing to do with this."

"That sounds reasonable, Mr. Saotome. Hand it over."

"Its...its not here. We have to go get it...that will take time."

"And how much time are we talking here?"

"Two hours, maybe? If you give her to me right now, I'll take you straight there." Ranma tried to keep his focus on Sasuke and while praying that he didn't take heed to the very noticeable red tapped envelope and matching case that had been strewn into the corner during the brawl. Sasuke smirked at Ranma's offer, simultaneously reaching behind his back.

Whipping his short arm around, he rounded on Uyko, pointing the gun seemingly at her head, but it was hard to tell from his stature. "I decline your offer. What I'll be doing is taking Ms. Tendo with me. You will meet us at our honorable bosses compound within the next five hours or you'll never see her again. This isn't negotiable." He motioned with his head to Taro towards the door.

An enraged Ranma turned on his heels, forcing his gaze back onto Taro. He made to pounce on the man again, for there was no way he was letting him walk out of here without of a fight. The fear displayed in Akane's eyes were becoming all to familiar to him and it was almost unbearable to witness again. The audible click of Sasuke disengaging the safety of his gun caused him to snap his head back around to Sasuke, another type of alarm going off in his head.

"Any one of you move, I'll shoot her without hesitation....and trust me. I'm a good shoot." Looking at Taro, he motioned with his head towards the door. Pulling her back and away from her companions, Taro inched towards the door with his prey. Her eyes darted back and forth in trepidation as she was dragged away.

Sasuske took a moment turn a brow towards Ranma. The fury coursing through Ranma's veins had obviously triggered a very non discrete battle aura, one that Sasuke was very aware the man possessed, but had never seen in action. "Hmph. So its true. You do have a tangible battle aura. Well, you must be more powerful that I imagine, sir." Twisting the gun slightly, he moved his finger closer to the trigger guard. "But I suggest you calm down, there isn't a martial arts expert alive who can out maneuver a bullet."

Allowing Taro to pass behind him, he listened carefully as the man descended down the stairs. "I know you have a tracker on her, so let that be your guide to us. I suggest you make haste." And with that final statement, he motioned for the fighters standing at the window to disperse. Backing away slowly with the gun still trained on Uyko until he was out of sight. As soon as the gun was off of Uyko, Ranma made to sprint after them, but Ryogo stopped him.

"If you want to see that woman alive again, stand down. This is an operation that is obviously much larger than we thought. We can't go rushing in there. That could cost us her life."

"So we are just going to let them waltz outta here with her! No! Hell no!"

Uyko shaky voice reached him next. "Please don't."

Ranma looked back at her, and with his trained eye could tell she was shook up, but other than the slight quiver of her voice, she physically looked prepared and alert. "We ARE going to get her back." She walked up to him, placing her hand on his shoulder. "We plan. Then we rescue. That's how me and Ryoga were trained, Ranma and that's how we are going to do it."

He deflated easily, as logic entered past the red haze of anger into his brain. He relented and turned to his two trusted friends for the type of support only they could provide.

* * * * * *

Taro set Akane down on the floor of the van, taking an easy stance since they had left the van several hundred feet away from the apartment they had just left, undetectable in the alleyway. He leaned against the door and peered down at her, a thick rolled piece of fabric stuffed between her lips. "We are not going to hurt you unless you do something that will cause us to hurt you. That screaming fit you had as we left the building is an example of a reason for us to hurt you. Do you understand that?"

Akane whipped her head indignantly away from the towering man, refusing to look at him. Taro noticed his shadow against the setting sun. He took a look at his arms and sighed. Reaching behind the girl currently ignoring his existence, he pulled out a large thermos. Cracking the lid, he let the steaming water drip onto his head, and subsequently down his body. Out of the corner of her eye, Akane watched in astute fascination as the bulking man seemed to shrink, his stature dwindling down to that of a normal sized man. He smirked at her reaction, her eyes wide in surprise.

"That will all be explain in the future but I understand your surprise. There have been few who have seen my actual self, as opposed to my...larger mass." Moments after, a jolly, bounce in his step Sasuke merged from the other side of the van, another piece of fabric in his eyes.

"How I do boss? I really sounded good up there! Ha! Watching all those action flick came in handy, huh?"

Taro suppressed the urge to roll his eyes as he extracted the fabric from Sasuke hand. "I'm going to cover your eyes. This is for your protection. Do you understand?" Akane still in a mild state of shock, sullenly shoot her head in compliance. Placing the soft fabric around her eyes. "Sasuke's going to bound your arms and ankles, and you let me know if they are too tight. I will remove the mouth gag if you promise not to scream. But if you do, I'll be force to render you unconscious." Again she nodded.

As Sasuke went to work, he also decided his mouth needed to be put to good use as well. "I mean I was all 'I suggest' and 'I decline your offer'. I sounded just like you!" Finishing up he clapped his hand good naturedly. " And the gun. The gun! Ha! I don't know how to shoot this damn thing! But I sure had them fooled! You betcha I did! You should let me do that again, boss! "

The tick on Taro's cheek grew bigger by the second. Finally having enough he turned on Sasuke sharply. "First and foremost, I am not your boss. Stop referring to me as such. Second, the only reason you were allowed to show such false bravado was because I needed to concentrate on Ranma and Ryoga. Spending time talking excessively would have distracted me. It won't happen again., so silence on your part would be appreciated. Thank you."

Turning around, he slid into the passenger seat of the van. Sasuke, who's joy had been stolen, checked Akane's bindings and slammed the door closed to the van. Slinking around he struggled into the driver's seat, starting it up with heated mumbles under his breath. He pulled out into traffic in the opposite direction of the apartment, his path shielded by the other buildings.

"How are you bindings, Ms. Tendo?"

Akane wanted to retain her disgruntled composure, but it melted away as fear grabbed her by the throat. She made to speak, but stopped, unsure of her voice. Inhaling as though it would give her a touch more strength, she answered quietly. "They are fine, thank you."

Sensing her tangible fear and sadness drifting through the air, Taro sighed. "Trust me Ms. Tendo, you are safe from harm. My grudge...." He stopped to clear his throat and his thoughts. "Our business is with Saotome, but obviously with a minor contribution from you. As long as he follows instructions, and I'm sure he will, you will be absolutely fine. I put my honor on that."

Touching the tender skin at the sides of her mouth where gag had rubber her skin, Akane found herself wanting to inquire more into his statement, because any information to why this was happening to her would be appreciated. But she found herself lacking the energy to do anything other than curl tighter into herself and try to keep her sobbing as quiet as possible.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Gaah, School is SO much fun! They should make the insane lethargic feeling from staying up all night, typing ridiculous papers for college in pill form. Anyways, I LOVED the reviews! Reviews make me re-read my work and go..."Yeah...that was a bit confusing." I'll clear it up for you, because I don't want you to be confused....confusions leads to ..."I'm not reading that backwards mess anymore!" **

**Ah, the story. Well. I've been waiting to write this chapter for a looong time. It starts to fall into place...yet its far form over! **

**Thanks! Enjoy! **

A Delicate Covenant

"Et tu, Brute?"

-Julius Ceasar

Akane looked down at her feet, they were bare, which confused her because she distinctly remember wearing shoes. The robe she was adorned in glowed, the white of it contrasting with the darkness. In the next breath, she realized that she was surrounded by pitch black, except for a tiny sliver of vertical light directly in front of her. _Hmm, looks like the edge of a screen. _

She reached out, slipping her fingers through the slim crack between the screen and pushed against it slightly, light from the other side flooding into the room she was in. Curiosity seizing her, she looked behind her, and gasped. As the light touched every corner of the "room" she thought she was in, she was surprised to see it wasn't a room at all.

_The garden....my house?_

She literally inhaled the vision before her, the sense of home flooding her senses, allowing an easy smile to grace her lips. Right before her was the _shoji _door that she now recognized as the entrance way to the family dojo. Stepping up from the wooden planking maintaining the walkway around the dojo, she made her way into the dojo to be again startled by the sight before her.

She blinked once...then again, this time rubbing her eyes to make sure she was seeing things right. She couldn't be imaging things, because the sight seemed so real, but yet so surreal at the same time, so much she wanted to reach out and touch it. The two figures stood in front of her, one larger form who had his eyes trained to the center of the dojo where a smaller form resided.

Soun face light up in a cheeky smile, matching the gleam of giddiness in his eyes. _She's so young, yet...." _He circled the room once again, his keen and talented eyes searching for any serious fault he may find in her tiny form. There were some, but in was incomparable to her age. He watched as she smoothly transferred her energy from the balls of her feet up through her body to snap kick her leg out, it angled perfectly in the air, before lowering it. Her tiny voice bellowing out a _kiai, _before turning face forward, allowing her to finish the final steps of her kata.

Soun quickly straightened up, the grin quickly masked by a countenance of seriousness. He turned to his daughter, his three year old daughter none the less, who had just demonstrated her ability to memorize a kata, he had no idea she had been learning. Other than her sitting in on his classes, eyes full of curiosity and awe, he had no idea that she was even interested in such things.

He had always hoped he would have a son to pass down his teachings to, one who could possibly turn his dojo over to when he reached old age. But such a thing never passed. When the second chance came around, which encompassed the knowledge of him having an heir _AND_ securing his youngest daughter's possible happiness was harshly destroyed, he thought all was lost.

He had lost a dear friend in the ugly world of politics, and it pained him deeply to think that he may never see his partner again. All the ails of the world were on his shoulder, but then again, he still could not say he wasn't a blessed man. Three wonderful beautiful daughters, his greatest treasures. Even more blessed was he, for by his side was a walking goddess, the woman who had changed his life, Kimiko. _My love..._

"Fat....I mean....Mas'er!"

He looked down at his daughter, who had advanced to stand in front of him, while he was lost in his musings. Akane's tiny fist were clutching the sides of her small gi, another surprise to Soun, as she looked up to him, tiny lights of apprehension shining back at him. The man, hiked up the material of his own brown gi as he lowered himself to her height.

Keeping his face very serious, so she would know he took this situation and her hard work very serious, he reached out and unclenched her hands. "Little one, who taught you that kata?" Still unsure of what her father thought of her performance, she looked back over her shoulder. She began searching for her mother's eyes, but remembered that she told Akane to be brave and allowed her to venture off to the dojo by herself. Facing her father, she inhaled, trying to remember the words her mother had taught her to say.

"Uh-ner-...able Mas'er, you taught me." Soun chose wisely not to giggle are her advanced but all the same, three year old speech.

"Hmmm..." He took a second to fix himself into a sitting position. "You did very good, my little butterfly. Let me ask you a question." He paused for a moment, rather enjoying the serious look beholding the young girl's face. "Wouldn't you rather be in the kitchen, helping Kasumi and Nabiki?"

The seriousness on the little girl's face transfigured into a dispirited one quickly, casting her eyes downward towards the interlocking wood floor of the dojo. "Nu-uh. 'Sumi tries to teach me, but N'biki tells me I'm too small and to go away. S-so I told Mom 'dat I wanted to fight anyways..."

"Ah...." He reached out and tapped her on her nose. "Well there we have it, my red jellybean. How would you like to help your _ojii-san _here in the dojo?" He finally broke out into a wide smile as she hurled her body towards her father, all semblance of propriety out the window. "Reeeeeally? Can I p'wease!?"

"Oh, ho! Of course you can! You'll be my number one student! Help me get these riff-raft students of mines in top shape, eh?" He lifted her in the air, enjoying the ecstatic giggles she was singing into the air. "Now, little one. I know your mother had something to do with this...Lets go find her and tell her the good news..." He lowered her to the floor as he took a standing position and then cuffed her tiny fingers into his as the headed towards the house to find the matriarch of the Tendo household.

As she watch the scene unfold in front of her eyes, the older Akane eyes sparked in awareness..."Mother...." She quickly padded across the dojo floor, following her younger self and her father towards the house. She stayed a few paces back, not wanting to be noticed, but quickly rolled her eyes heavenward. _This is obviously a dream, you dolt. They probably can't see you. _Something tickled in the back of her mind that there was a chance that they COULD see her, but the ramifications of arguing with herself about herself seeing her quickly gave way to a headache.

So quietly she followed the two figures across through the garden. Conversely enough the stairs actually squeaked when she took a step towards the living room shoji door, but after tactfully freezing for a few seconds, she realized again her silliness and continued after her father and...herself.

In the living room she saw the vision of a younger Nabiki, strategically studying a Igo board. _Cunning, even as a child. Probably figuring a way to sucker someone out of some money_. Her attention was snapped forward again as she heard Kasumi reciting the ingredients of a recipe in the kitchen. Akane could also hear the pages of a book being turned, which was probably her mother's recipe book. _Mother! _Akane quickened her pace, realizing how close she was at seeing her mother after so long. Maybe a taste of her mother's love and warmth would spark the memories that Akane had of her. She rounded the corner into the kitchen to find Kasumi holding a spoon out to her younger self, while right behind her, stood the willowy grace of her mother.

Fresh tears sprung to her eyes as she watched her mother bent over, her back to Akane as she chopped vegetables to add to the broth Kasumi was now stirring. "MOTHER!" Akane called out to her, hearing her voice echo off the walls of the room, only to find no one could hear her. She took a step forward, only to realize that she couldn't move as the room around her started to fade to black...

"No...No...I'm so close...please...." Her mother appeared to hear her plea and began to turn. Still frozen Akane gathered her strength, which she concentrated it into her core, trying to break whatever had a hold on her.

"MAM...." Akane sat straight up, her hands reaching forward. Towards the ceiling. Blinking, she realized that she was no longer at her family estate, but a room she didn't recognize. Her memory popped and dawned on her, recounting the last day of her life. _It really was just a dream. Otherwise...._ Looking down at her hands she became aware that she no longer was bound, and was situated quite comfortably on a futon mattress in the middle of a still unrecognizable but plushly designed room.

Richly woven tatami mats lined the floor of the entire expanse of the lofty space. Before her a smooth oak low table sat a few feet away from her, a _sake masu _at its center. To her right, three tiered window on opposite ends of the room allowed soft light to warm the room. And directly across from her mattress was a shoji door, probably leading to her freedom, or doom. _Flip a coin..._

Either way, she wasn't going to find out if her 'doom' was on the other side of the door, waiting for her to wake or not. No sooner as she could get herself together to spring herself out of the room, the shoji door slid open, a quiet Taro on the other side. Akane deflated, seeing her chance to escape fleeing in the bat of an eye. He took in her tense form with a raised brow, before gesturing to the low table for her to sit. Seeing no other option but compliance, she sulked to the low table, folding her knees under her to sit.

"Do you remember who I am, Ms. Tendo?"

Akane nodded, "Yes, I remember you..."

Taro matched her nod of agreement as he eased down to the low table to join her. "Good. I hope you find your accommodations to your suiting?" Akane snorted at the man. She took a moment to survey him. His current 'form' was so much smaller than the bulking mass of man she had encountered. It almost reassured her, because she could almost separate them. The larger form being a source of fear, while the smaller, yet equally impressive form, ran congruent with the soft spoken man who seemed to take care of her, in light of the circumstances that he actually kidnapped her.

"Accommodations is a strong word, for holding cell." Sighing, she looked him square in the eyes. "Look here, you seem like a nice enough guy, although...I don't _know _you, for you could be a homicidal maniac, to add to the kidnapper thing you got going for yourself, but I'd hate to waste your time with this _chitchat_. Why am I here?"

Taro looked very nonplussed at her bravado laced speech, reaching under the table to grab a richly designed sake container. As he reached for the _sake masu_, filling it to the brim with the fragrant liquid. "I don't know why you are here..."

Akane's brow clinched together in confusion. _She could have swore... _"What in the hell do you mean you don't know. I could have been scared shitless back there as you STOLE me, but I'm pretty sure I heard you tell me that...."

"That our grudge is with Ranma?' I'll be honest. MY grudge is with Ranma....I could care less about you being here. Your presence here helps me in no shape, form or fashion, other than granting me the assistance I need. "

"But what was the _little_ person saying....He called you boss...." Akane was interrupted by Taro handing over the _sake masu_ to her, indicating that she should take a sip. When she ignored his proffered suggestion, he shrugged and downed the container in one swig. "The woman who brought you here is Sasuke's boss. If you search your memory, you'll recall that I asked him NOT to call me boss, simply because I am not."

"So why are you..."

"...working with him? It allowed me better access to Saotome. Figuratively speaking, I should have just killed him at his apartment. But in working with these people, I'm allowed a greater joy, at their expense of course, to exact the revenge I've waiting years to get."

Akane lowered her head, the confusion swimming around her eyes caused her temples to throb. Upon raking a hand through her hair, she noticed one thing. One thing that was missing. Her tracking device.

Taro seemed to notice her awareness, and smiled. "We removed your tracking device, we wanted to make sure that when Ranma shows up, that he shows up exactly where we want him to. Don't worry. Saotome will come."

"How do you know?"

"Trust me, we injured Ranma's pride by taking you. Not because he, maybe cares about you. Understand that won't be the reason he shows up. I've known him for a very long time, although he's never had the pleasure of seeing me in my current form. He is a prideful and possessive man. A mindless drone that deserves nothing he has been granted."

Akane quirked an eyebrow up at the bitterness in his voice. "Do you mind telling me what your business is with him?" Her head was really swimming now. All of the mystery, the unknown reasons for them wanting her, the unknown reason towards Taro's grudge. Who was this woman that went through all of this trouble to capture her? She's just Akane. She wasn't well off, wasn't super smart... she was just a normal woman.

"Hn, just know his arrogance and superior attitude cost me someone very dear to me. Cost me the woman that I lo...." Taro sighed, his gaze wondering to the windows. "...all of that will be explained at another time. The mistress of this hold request your presence at dinner, which is in exactly thirty minutes. Your Ranma's deadline is precisely one hour after that.

Before Akane could offer any declination of any type of dinner with the people who were holding her hostage, Taro snapped his fingers and the shoji door slid open again, revealing two young servant girls, who entered the room. Taro stood to take his leave, turning before he exited the room. "You are here,_alive_, by the graces of this mistress. I wish not to see you hurt, so before you decide to flare that hot temper of yours up, I would advise you to think of your situation." With that he slid the door close.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Due forty degrees...west...I think." Ranma looked down at the map that was charted before him...."No...make that forty degrees...South west....WHO the hell can read this damn thing!" Frustration pouring off of him in waves, the pushed the paper off of the small table inside of the cabin of the boat.

"_I _charted it, but since you've got Uyko back there watching the tracker like some kind of rabid dog, _you'll _have to call out navigation for me, o' trusty first mate." Ryoga tried to add a little to bit of humor to the tense suffocating air surrounding Ranma, but upon seeing the steel of determination in his eyes glint harder, he sighed.

Within minutes of Akane's disappearance, Uyko and him immediately ran to the computer to track her location. It still took every ounce of persuasive power they had to convince Ranma that going after them, when he had made a deal with them, was in everyone worst personal interest. If they wanted to kill Akane, for whatever reason, they would have done so in the apartment. They want Yangupawa more it seems than they want Akane's life. So it made more sense to strategically prepare themselves, then letting Ranma go ballistic.

They waited patiently two whole hours before Akane's tracking signal became stationary, the GPS system pinging her coordinates to the western coast of Tokyo. They took chase immediately, figuring once they got there that gave them additional hour to spare. Ranma had been a complete, yet solidly determined, mess for the time they sat waiting for Akane's location to appear. And now as they charted the waters off the coast of Tateyama, Ranma's frustration levels seem to skyrocket at the thought of being so close.

"Look here, you ass. I don't know how to read this stupid map OR this retarded compass. So if you could just...." Before Ranma could finish his rant, a spatual weilding Ukyo slid across the slippery floor of the cabin, skidding to a stop in front of the both of them. Snatching the map away from Ranma's tense fingers, she glanced at the map, out the window, and back down at the map. "Okay! The coordinates match the map marker here," She said, almost poking a hole through the thin piece of paper. "The hold where Akane is being held at should be right around this rock cliff.

Ryoga wasted no time, veering the boat port-side, not heeding the already precariously slippery floors of the boat, yet he instinctively reaching back to steady Uyko. As the boat completed its turn, just around the cliff of the capacious bluff that jutted out into the water, a large edifice was seen just off the coast, surrounded by the black sands of Tateyama Beach.

Ranma eyed the expanse of the compound, noticing it looked relatively non-threatening. Nothing he would have expected from the men who tried to kill him twice, invaded his house, and subsequently kidnapped Akane. But as the saying goes, looks can be deceiving and Ranma was in no mood to let his guard down to be tricked. "They know we are coming. Pull up as close to the shoreline as you can."

As Ryoga navigated the boat to the shore, and killed the engine, simultaneously hitting the switch for the automatic anchor. Surely as soon as the metal flukes of the anchor buried themselves in the soft bottom of the shoreline, did a wailing, pitching alarm sound. "That didn't take long." The pigtail boy stood from his sitting position, to crack his knuckles. "We aren't to engage them in any fight until Akane is safe in our hands, is that understood?" Without waiting for an answer, he ushered himself to the surface level of the boat.

Ryoga turned to Uyko who was strapping her spatula back into its casing across her back. "I don't think I've seen him this determined...ever."

Uyko grinned, before reaching around to secure the headbands Ryoga sometimes used as weapons around his head. "Cut him some slack, he's never been in this type of situation before. He was trained to fight, but never _had _to. This situation is new for him. He may be scared for Akane, but at the same time, I'd like to think, way deep deep down, he's having a little bit of fun, you know..."

"Hmm, maybe." Ryoga smirked then he smacked his girl across her bottom playfully before tugging her close. "Don't do anything stupid. We are going home tonight. Together." Kissing her lightly, he grinned at her. "I can't handle Ranma without you..."

"You can't handle much of anything without me, sugar." Uyko returned the kiss before they both eased out of their quiet short moment together before joining Ranma on the ship deck.

What greeted them was a small fleet of black clad men, wielding gleaming sharp katanas and alternatively, machine guns. Ryoga groaned to himself. _What's the use of wearing black if your going to flash your weapons in the open? Then again, whats the use of wearing black on the property of your own compound? Who hired these guys? _

As they waded through the shallow water of the coastline to the awaiting men, their short acquaintance from earlier pushed his way to the front of the pack. Although short in stature, he tried his hardest to make up for it with pure hubris, as he puffed out his chest and silently indicated with his thumb to follow him.

Ukyo discreetly leaned towards Ryoga as they were surrounded and lead towards the den that was before them. "He sure acts tough for someone I could boot back to Tokyo without batting an eyelash. Must be the extra manpower he has." Ryoga rolled his eyes at his finance before falling in line behind Ranma.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"You have the girl?"

"Yes, mistress. She was captured earlier today by Taro and Sasuke, and is currently being prepared for dinner with me."

"Good. Good. She is very important. Get a reading, I need to know...."

"How do you want me to go about handling this. You wish for her not to be harmed, but after reading the surveillance on her, her just willingly complying isn't reasonable possibility."

"She's stubborn, hm. Ranma. She's stubborn because of Ranma. Break them up. Break her spirit. Tell her the truth."

"As you wish..."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

In roughly twenty minutes, she watched unwillingly, as the two servant girls fluffed her out like a pillow to be presented to some woman who had kidnapped her and now requested her company as if she came here willingly. They had managed to pour her in a layered _houmonji _kimono, with a pair of hakamas and a Japanese blouse stuffed under it. It gave Akane slight pause, for semi-formal in its appearance, it was usually reserved for tea parties, not '_invite hostage to dine'_ parties. Nonetheless, she was wearing it and had no say. They quickly but efficiently coiffed her hair up, using two ornate metallic clippings to pull back the sides of her hair.

As she slipped her feet into the pro-offered _tabi, _she actually smiled at the two girls who helped her get dressed. The entire time they dressed her, the both spoke freely, as if this were a slumber party and Akane was the guest of honor. She learned a little of the lives of the two girls. One was named Ling-Ling and the other, unsurprisingly, Lung-Lung. They were Chinese natives turned Japanese handmaidens who were chosen by the mistress's boss, one who they've never met. Although they'd rather be back home training, they enjoyed all of the womanly training they'd received while employed here. Akane has really enjoyed their company, for it was impossible to ignore their good natured energy.

The two girls, after all of the pomp and circumstance of getting her dressed, lead her out of her room. This was Akane's first glance at the world beyond her 'holding cell'. The same feeling of warm opulence flowed from where Akane had been held into the hallways. Ornate amber wood covered the floors, gleaming as if recently shined. The walls were covered from ceiling mast to floor with expensive tapestries, some depicting ancient battles, others of eloquent ladies and men in their fanciest wardrobe. The air smelled of fragrant and familiar Japanese orchids, as vase after vase lined the shelving jutting out in between each painting.

All in all, Akane was impressed by the immoderation of the abode. _Well, to look on the bright side of this, at least its not some dark dank corner of hell they've got me stashed up in. _As she was being led, she tried to take in every minute detail she could; where the hallways seem to lead, how many steps it was from her room to wherever she was being taken, what doors the servants were going in and out of, anything she could store away just in case Ranma didn't make it.

Although, the thought of him NOT making it was starting to cross her mind. She couldn't depend on him to get her out of this mess, she could no longer 'blame' him and his connections for the hot water she was up to her neck in. They wanted_ her _for unknown reasons, it was just coincidental that Ranma was involved. It didn't chance the fact that she _wanted _him to rescue her. She waited and yearned for his arrival like she yearned for air. _The gods must be sitting on high, snickering their omnipotent asses off. Maybe the intricacies of the situation was just fodder for the Kamis. Confuse 'em enough until they start to run a muck in panic. Comedy fucking Central. _

She snapped her attention forward, pushing her musings to the back of her head, as they approached two very large wooden latched doors. So large, that one had to angle their head slightly upwards just to get a vision of it from head to toe. Ling-Ling approached the door and rapped on the wood smartly. She waited a full second and rapped again. A uneasy creaking sound was emitted from the other side as a latched _thunked_ loudly, and the doors began to open laggardly.

On the other side Akane took a turn to gasp as she was greeted with a friendly looking yet formal dining room. If her room and the hallway were the taste of elegance, the dining room was its superior. Twined polished bamboo reeds covered the expansive walls from the impossibly tall ceiling all the way down to the solid oak parquet floors that was intricately laid. Directly in the middle of the room laid another low table, although the grandness of it far outmatched the one that was in her 'room'.

As Akane trailed behind Ling-Ling and Lung-Lung, she took notice as she passed through the doors, that two heavily armed guards were at her left and right. When she fully entered the dining room she noticed two set of three servants, flanking the sides of the table with trays and long neck pitchers. The closer she drew to the table, she then noticed a figure seated at the head of the table.

The two girls before her came to a halt, before bowing low to the figure at the head of the table. The slightly inclined her head, acknowledging them. The girls turned to Akane, indicating that she should follow them. They in turned directed her to center seat, farthest from the door. As she took her seat, the two ladies took a couple of step back before stopping, each of them flanking her on her left and right, before bowing again.

"Hmm, my honored guest." A slight inkling of smugness could be heard in the greeting. "I do hope you've enjoyed you stay here."

Akane wanted to snort her opinion but refrained from doing so. She wasn't in a nice cozy restaurant where she could storm out if she wanted to. She was being held captive, and forced to endure a meal with her captress. She turned towards said woman, finally laying eyes on the one person who had dropped kicked her life to hell and back in a few short hours. The woman was beautiful, and although the look of conceit was evident in her countenance, she otherwise looked as docile and well mannered as any upper class Japaneses woman.

She had hair the color of obsidian, matching the black sands she'd noticed that surrounded the compound, as she had glanced out of a window. It was pulled up into a simplistic side ponytail, held together by a flower ornament clasp. The high neckline of her _iromuji _flowed crisply over her chest, the kimono's characteristically longer sleeves, indicated that her captress was indeed unmarried. _Although, one must be wondering why I'm thinking of formalities at a time like this. _Although hidden beneath the flat of the table, Akane could imagine that the black roses covering the fabric flowed even lower and trailed down the length of her_ iromuji. _

"Your fortress...is beautiful..."

The petite woman to Akane's right smiled which seemed to be a genuine smile before she clapped twice. Two of the young servant men approached the table, each bringing a covered tray with him. "Fortress? Not so much, but just a nice summer beach house. I do appreciate your compliment, none the less, Ms. Tendo...." the woman tapped her finger against her nose, before resting an elegant hand just under her chin. "Before we get to the reason for you being here, I believe it to be polite and in order that we get you well fed. Can't have you fainting on me."

She indicated that the second young man should serve their guest. He placed before her, a very broad tray, unveiling a traditional _kaiseki _formal offering of food. Pushing the tray slightly towards the center of the table, he reached for a sake flask. After filling her container up, he placed a small appetizer to accompany the sake, bowed and returned to his position by the wall. Ling-Ling then approached, placing a pair of chopstick in the holder to her right, then placing a cotton sleeve of fabric across her waist.

Her plan was to ignore the pro-offered food and get straight to the questioning, but when her stomach protested loudly after smelling the meal before her, she decided that eating would not be a bad idea. Discreetly sniffing it after she picked up her chopsticks, Akane quickly but delicately finished the appetizer before she looked up to see the woman holding her sake cup in both hands, lifting it slightly in toast to her guest.

Akane mentally shrugged and followed suit, downing the sake in one sitting. It burned going down her throat, and her eyes watered harshly at the sting. _For the love of sobriety! This is the __**strongest**_..._what is this rocket fuel? _Blinking rapidly to draw back the tears, she waited a beat for the woman to continue eating the next course the servant placed in front of her. Lung-Lung followed suit and the two women ate in a terse quiet silence for the duration of the meal.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The three fighters entered the small room, each with a katana to their backs. The room they had been lead too was dusty and dark, nothing compared to the lavish surroundings they had witness on their way inside. They had been surrounded by, what seemed to be all of the diminutive man's personal security force up until the entered the building. Then only to be informed that they were to wait out the remaining time in the room.

"What do you mean, the remaining time? We got here within the time promised! Bring Akane to us now!" Ranma all but growled at the smaller stature man, who merely shrugged off the anger thrown at him. "If it were up to me, you'd be dead. I suggest you get comfortable. It will only be half an hour at the most before you are lead to the woman. As soon as they finish eating, you'll be allowed to see her."

With that, the guards slowly exited the room. Sasuke comically climbed up on a chair lined up against the far wall, lighting a torch. "Don't say I never gave you anything." He hopped down and made his way out of the room. _One must ask why he didn't have a taller guard do that for him, but that's digression. _Seconds later, the heard an audible click and the door was locked from the outside.

"They took our weapons, they lock us up in some fucking storage closet and they want us to_ wait?_ I'll beat this god forsaken door down with my bare hands if I have to!"

Ryoga and Uyko sat back, letting the slightly younger man rant his frustrations. It did not good to try and stop him. Collectively the sighed as they watched him walk a hole into the floor.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

As the servants cleared away the meal from before the women, Akane had but a second to gather the strength to ask her first question before the woman snapped yet again. Obviously the woman had enough servants at her disposal, as a unfamiliar one advanced, holding a envelope in his hands.

"I, first want to say, thank you for joining me here, I do appreci...."

Akane smoothly interjected "Its not like I had a choice Ms...."

"Kodachi. Kodachi Kuno."

"...Ms. Kuno. As you know I was forcibly kidnapped and drug off to an unknown corner of the universe...a.k.a., your residence. But all the same, I gather I can appreciate how well I've been taken care of in the short amount of time I've been here."

Kodachi lifted her hand to cover her mouth as she laughed daintily. _Firespit, this one is_. "Harming you isn't necessary...at this point." Shifting her gaze, she called out. "Anzu, please show Ms. Tendo what you have there in that envelope.

Akane at this point was so tired of envelopes and secret contents that she contemplated rolling her eyes, but stopped herself in liue on not really want to anger the woman at the current moment. As 'Anzu' reached into the envelope, Kodachi turned back to Akane. "How much of Japanese history do you know?"

Caught off guard by the question, she simply answered "Enough to pass in grade school. Why?"

Anzu pulled out one sheet of parchment paper, placing it down in front of Akane before taking a half step back. On the delicate parchment read four surnames, written is beautifully dictated Kanji.

"As you may or may not have learned in _grade_ school, there are four noble clans that serve as pillars to the Royal Imperial Family."

"Noble clans?..."

"Guess you know less than I thought. What do they teach the children nowadays?"

Kodachi exhaled sharply before continuing. "Well that calls for me to back up a bit, doesn't it. Up until the Kazoku period, nobles were recognized as an intricate part of the Japanese prefecture and government. These clans continued to be a influent piece of Japanese society until the Kazoku period arrive. From that point up until now, the noble clans have no official say in how the government is run, but due to tradition, still serve a purpose to the Imperial family, thus, retaining most of their powers as nobles. "

Akane placed her hands in her lap, fighting the urge to scratch her head. I_'d wish she'd get to the point. I didn't get kidnapped for a history lesson. I have better things to do. _Fingering the piece of parchment, Akane angled towards Kodachi. "And...these are the four clans you speak of?"

"Good. You're not as daft as I previously though! The four clan names are Kuno, Taichousen, Takahashi, and Yatsura. Each clan is ruled independently by each elder grandfather, although the title of Prince is the official head of the house. Rules and regulations are devised and controlled by each separate house, distinguishing them from each other. Things such as crime, the punishments and of course...betrothals are at the mercy of each house."

"The Imperials let the nobles get away with such things?"

"Yes." Kodachi shrugged.

"You mentioned Kuno. So...that makes you of noble blood."

Kodachi dusted away imaginary flint from her impeccably groomed shoulder. "That should be obvious."

Akane sighed. The history lesson was great by _extremely_ dull standards, and it explained nothing. And at this point she actually didn't even care if she EVER got an explanation. She just wanted to leave. Which meant that Kodachi had to first let her go.

"That's _wooonderful_, your highness...majesty or whatever. I'm glad for that Public Service announcement, but believe one of the stipulations of me being held here is was that Ranma had to bring...."

"Ranma is already here. He and his bodyguards are being held in a room on the east wing of the compound."

_Bodyguards? Ryoga and Uyko? _Akane mentally snorted. _I mean, I guess you could consider them bodyguards. They seemed to have an air of tactical awareness about them, no moves wasted, plans thought out as concisely as possible. _

"Great! So he can hand over that stupid envelope and we ca...."

Kodachi interjected. "How much do you know Ranma Saotome, Ms. Tendo?"

Akane's eyes drew together in dual confusion and thought. "To be honest, not much lady." The confusion then turned to a terse smirk. "I've known him for maybe a full day. If you and your people hadn't thrown yourself in the mix, there's no telling how much or how little I would know. But since we've been dealing with your cute brand of bullshit for the last day, its been kinda hard to snuggle up to him and ask him twenty one questions, you know?" At this point, not pissing Kodachi off had been drop kicked out of a very high window. _I could care less if Little Miss Crooked Ponytail got mad. _

Kodachi schooled her features quickly, masking the tick that threatened to form on her cheek. _The mere fact that I have to show this...commoner, the same respect as a noble is outlandish! She shouldn't be allowed to breath the same air as I do! Stupid little chit. I'll show her._ "You've got a point, Ms. Tendo. I do serve a particular cute brand of....bullshit, eh?"

Smoothing her ruffled attitude, Kodachi gracefully lifted herself up from her sitting position, the layers of her _iromuji_ flowing close behind her as she stood. Ling-Ling quickly paced to Kodachi's side, quickly untying the obi sash, deftly removing the kimono off her shoulders, thus relieving a pair of close cut hakamas and a deep red brocade vest. Ling-Ling then approached Akane, removing the kimono, Akane's outfit matching Kodachi.

After noticing Akane's upturned brow, Kodachi shrugged. "I wanted us to be a little more comfortable. That dress is stiffling hot. We are on a beach, after all." She turned a meaningful eye back towards Anzu. "Have Sasuke bring Ranma and his friends here. Lung-Lung, go fetch Taro." As the two went off to their duties, Kodachi waited until they were relatively all alone to cross the room in a quick march, betraying the frail personage she gave off.

"A lot is to be discovered today, Tendo. First, while we wait for your Ranma to grace us with his presence, I need to see something with my own eyes."

Akane took a step back, the maniacal glint in Kodachi's eyes catching her off guard. "W-what do you mean...."

Before Akane could fetch the next breath to finish her sentence, her eyes went wide as saucers as Kodachi executed two crisp backhand springs, landing in front of the wall. With delicate fingers she lifted a long rod from its holding place, a trail of ribbon following in its wake.

The second she had the rod in her hand, she flung it over her head and thrust it forward before sharply pulling it back towards her. The resulting action caused the agile ribbon to fly towards Akane before snapping sharply against Akane's exposed skin. Akane gasped as she frantically backed up, glancing down at her now bleeding arm.

"Yo, what the hell!" The blue haired woman slapped her hand around her arm, wincing in pain. "What do you think you are doing?!?"

"Shut your mouth! Standing still won't do either of us any good!" Kodachi repeated her earlier move, except she aimed the ribbon towards the floor in an attempt to make Akane move. With a satisfied smirk, she watched as the girl side step the snap of her ribbon, still clutching her arm. She took off in an sprint, whirling the rod, the trailing fabric coiling like a snake above her head.

She threw threw herself into the air a couple of paces before Akane, tucking her body to land in a roll. As she unlooped herself and came upright, only to bounce and twirl on the ball of her left foot, her right foot catching Akane competently off guard in a low spinning kick. Akane's legs flew out in front of her, her back careening into the floor with a loud thud. The air audibly whooshed out of her lungs, as Kodachi stared down at the prone woman sprawled across her floor.

"There is a reason they call me the Black Rose, you base-born trash."_Poor poor poor! This is the woman they seek? Ridiculous! _

Shaking her head, she took a step away from the panting woman, only to turn on her heels to walk away. _She has no battle aura. NOTHING. How can she possibly be the Inchoi without any battle residu... _Kodachi had but one second to sense Akane coming before she ducked, although not fast enough. The blue haired woman caught Kodachi squarely across the cheek with the flat of her palm, effectively mushing her face sharply to the right. Without wasting anytime time, Akane spun on her heel, taking her now balled fist against the base of her skull.

Kodachi's hands flew to her head, the pain rolling in waves up and down her spinal column. But seconds later she got the answer she was waiting for. Snapping her head towards Akane, she gasped as she saw a faint blue caressing the girl's palms, growing brighter by the second. Not the full on battle aura she wanted, but something is always better than nothing._ Not as strong as needed, but it is present. So she isn't as worthless after all. Damn, I really wanted to destroy her..._

"You know what? I've had enough. Not a hard concept to grasp after the fucking day I've had. I don't know what you want, why you want me, or what the hell I did to rouse your attentions, but I swear on everything that I love, if you continue to piss me off, I'll level this bitch."

Kodachi instantly dropped her rod, turning away from Akane, efficiently ignoring the girl. She sauntered back to the wall that she'd grabbed her original weapon from, to press a button on a square lacquered box just below the case. "Bring Ranma in here, now." Akane watched Kodachi walked back towards the center of the room, but then woman found herself whipping around to the sounds of the door being opened.

With their hands raised and locked above their heads, Akane watched as Ranma, Ukyo and Ryoga were escorted into the room. The first moment she could, Akane sought out Ranma's eyes, a breath of pure relief rushing out of her body. She felt like she hadn't seen him for days, when it had only been a matter of hours. She struggled internally with the notion that she had missed him terribly, and wanted to do nothing more than to run to him, seek solace is those strong, stubborn hands of his. She then noticed how strong he was clenching against his restraints....what a minute...restraints?

As if reading her mind, Sasuske made his appearance. "Sorry, Lady Kodachi....it seems that Saotome here felt the flushing of Ms. Tendo's battle aura, and apparently couldn't reclaim his senses in enough time before he took out two of my guards. I had to restrain him."

Surprising Akane, Kodachi bellowed out in an angry fit. "Unleash him! NOW! Ranma...Darling!" She ran over to him with the intent of releasing him from his constraints, but was rebuffed when Ranma snatched away from her outreached hands.

"Oh," Her face sad, her bottom lip pouting out "I see, you're probably angry with me, because I sent these men to your house. But, I swear! I told them not to harm you, only to grab the girl! Ranma, Darling..." She spoke softly as she trailed her palm down the side of his face, "...you do believe me, right?"

Kodachi was a very lucky woman that Ranma was still bound, because if she had freed him, she'd be prying his fingers from around her neck. "You...._your_ responsible for this Kodachi? YOU?" When she reached out to touch his face again, she gasped as he brought his bound wrist down, to push her away.

Angry and shocked at his public display of reject, she backed up, clutching her hand to her chest. "Yes, me! I told you I'd do anything to make you mines! I saw my chance and I took it! Don't you see! I did this for you!"

"You did _this_...for me? Well! Let me see, which part sounds particularly romantic. It wouldn't be when you tried to run me and Akane over, or subsequently tried to blow her up? Or maybe its when, the little shit over there, tried to run Uyko and Akane off the road...or MAAAYBE just maybe when you sent half of your crazy 88 rejects over to my apartment, who attacked us, threatened Uyko with a gun, and then kidnapped Akane? I won't mention the conditions your men held us in, under your orders!"

"What about it? Don't you see? Can't you see! This was the only way to free you! She told me that if I...."

"Enough Kodachi! What part of "No, I'm not marrying you don't you understand. I don't, will not, EVER have feelings for you! How incredibly..._retarded_ of you to do this! I won't mention the fact that you had to _FIND_ me, which I believed to be pretty impossible...."

Kodachi bodily recoiled at his words. _I thought he would understand. If he would just let me explain! If I follow through on this she'll free him! He'll be free! And then we can be together. But he won't. _Turning her gaze on Akane, who stared at the whole interaction with wide, confused eyes she seethed. _Probably because of this stupid worthless common girl! Well, if he won't listen to me because of her, I'll give a reason to never seek his warmth again! _

"Oh, ho..ho-ho-ho! I forgot!" Placing her hand on her hip, she extracted her fan from the closure under her shirt. Snapping it open, she fanned herself, while smiling dangerously. "Akane, power down that simpleton power you think you posses. I could have you killed with a snap of my fingers. But, my dear little chit, I won't."

She refaced the crowd of people to right, a crowd including the one who had just wounded her pride. "Anzu....come. Bring the flask with you." Anzu emerged from the group of people, cradling a large flask in his small hands. Removing the flask from him, she inclined her head towards Ranma.

"Ranma...Darling. Do you know what's in this flask? Hm? Water....very special, _cold_ water, I believe. I came across it while I was on a trip, over on the mainland. Visited a 'popular' tourist spot around there..."What _was_ it called? " She placed an inquisitive finger against her lips. "Oh! Jusenkyo, was the name! I wonder if Akane would like a splash, it _is _very hot in here."

She smiled as she witnessed all of his lovely muscles tensing under that flim of a shirt he was wearing, his aura beginning to spark alive. "You do that Kodachi and I swear..."

"You'll swear nothing! If you know what's good for you, and her, You'll sit quiet, while I tell her a little story. One word out of you or your friends before I request it, and I promise you, I'll dump this whole flask on her without a second's hesitation."

The blue haired woman couldn't hide the confusion evident on her face even if she wanted to.

"I'd had the pleasure of asking Akane earlier, all she knew about you. Pity, obviously you weren't man enough to tell this woman the truth. I'm sure she ate up that story about you being an IT Supervisor at that irritating company, didn't she? Bad boy, Ranma lying to the poor girl like that!"

Akane chose this time to speak up, since at this point she was thoroughly lost. "What do you mean, he lied to me?" Turning to Ranma, she asked, "What is she talking about Ranma?" When Ranma looked as if he wanted to speak, Kodachi reminded him of his position by lightly shaking the contents in the flask, remonstrating him with a shaking finger.

"Akane, my dear. We never got a chance for me to finish my lesson. Now...let's see. Where did I finish? Oh, ho-ho! That's right. Obviously you haven't made a connection between a name of a house I mentioned earlier and the name of a certain company you work for. Well. Because I like you so much, I'll tell you a secret. And its on the house." Winking at Akane, she inched closer to the woman, a sadistic grin plastered on her face. "Ranma has two parents, of course. One being Genma Saotome, the patriarch of the Saotome household."

"Okay what does that have to do with..."

Snapping her fan shut, she bristled. "Rude! Let me finish!" Reopening her fan, she turned a finger towards Ranma. " His wonderful, graceful, and ever beauteous mother, is none other than the Nodoka Saotome."

Akane glanced at Ranma, who was boring a hole into the ground with his stare, his shoulders slumped and despondent. Fetching a sideways glance at Uyko, she noticed the woman was lined with worry and apprehension. Ryoga, in turn shrugged tiredly, his hands before him in a gesture of helplessness. For her part, she didn't understand the melancholy writ across them, and it aided her growing confusion with each passing moment.

"Somebody...please...tell me what's going on. None of this makes sense. None of it. What is she talking about? What does...."

"I'm not done yet, dear." She slinked towards the other woman, causally whipping the fan, enjoying the secret humor far more than any other person in the room. "You see, what makes dear, sweet Nodoka wonderful, other than her keen fashion sense is..." Stopping directly in font of Akane, she snapped the fan close, using the end of it the angle Akane's face up to meet hers. "that fact that her maiden name was Taichousen."

Kodachi backed off a step, watching Akane's face. A smile lit up her features as she watch the gears turning in Akane's head.

_Maiden name......mother......Taichousen....noble clan...._ With a pained gasp, she turned to Ranma, who a second ago was avoiding her gaze, now tried to burn a hole in her with his eyes silently pleading with Akane for forgiveness.

Kodachi's cackle could be heard in every corner of the room. She turned dangerously on Akane. Grabbing a handful of her hair, forcing her head back painfully she hissed out. "Meet the current heir of the Taichousen Noble Clan..._Prince_ Ranma Saotome."


	6. Chapter 6

**A:/N**** Teeheee. I'm not even anywhere near done. This whole lying thing CRACKS me up. Anyways. I appreciate ALL of your reviews. I get them all times of the day and I'm so geeked to read them. I promise one day when my professor isn't holding me hostage with a textbook, I will respond to EACH and every one of them.**

**Alright. **

**Domo Arigato...Mr. Roboto....*shrugs* Tourette's...**

A Delicate Covenant

Let me not think on't—Frailty, thy name is woman!—

~Hamlet

Akane considered herself a woman with an absurd amount of common sense. She, for all purposes, was a grounded woman. Things such as sensibility and cognition were relative terms to her. This could be a factor as to why she was twenty five and not married, or hadn't been on a date in years, but she never really let small things like that bother her. Her career was successful and she was climbing the corporate ladder at an amazing speed. She was one to let her mind make the decision for her, disregarding all other impacting players.

Especially her heart.

So at this very moment with a maniacal madwoman unlocking a key piece of the puzzle that had perplexed her for the last day or so, one that was intimately connected with betrayal on the part of one Ranma Saotome, she thought she'd at least feel hurt.

But no, Akane wasn't as conventional as she had deluded herself to be. Hurt didn't sting at her heart, nor did anger. What was the word that she was feeling at this moment?

Well, there wasn't one. She didn't feel anything because her heart was still trying to catch up with her mind. Her mind was still trying to catch up with reality. Suddenly she forgot she was on an island, kidnapped away from her home, assaulted, bombarded with historical facts and dining with a woman who had obviously slipped from a sane and sound mind years ago. The colors around her were brighter yet sickeningly dull at the same time. Sounds echo and were crisp. She was tail-spinning. It wasn't that the news was so mentally jolting that she was imploding on herself. No, if she paid closer attention, the actions of those three were at best, suspicious, and pinged off clues left and right.

It was just that, everything was too much. Every time she turned around it was one thing, then she'd spin herself to escape the cold wind of that reality to find herself, slapped across the face with another dose of realism. Her life had become, in the last forty-eight hours, completely void of anything recognizable. She was used to waking up, going to work, being a productive, ordinary citizen of Japan, going home and just being Akane. How she ended up dead in the middle of some kind of battle royale, with every inch of the pun intended, she'd never understand.

Then she realized everything around her was moving so slow, too slow. And the numbness was spreading. She didn't feel a hand clamped around her wrist. Nor did she notice the cloud of dust swirling around the room, emitting for the thousand pieces of what she assumed used to be the door, Ryoga outstretched finger still locked in place. She didn't feel Ranma dragging her through the halls, faster than her feet could carry her.

She felt nothing. She couldn't keep pace with the action surrounding her, which being processed at a slower speed. Although she know understood it seemed to be an escape attempt. She could now hear Ukyo yelling out from her position in the front, something that sounded like directions. She started to tilt her head to the side, hoping to comprehend, maybe hear a little better, when she felt herself being lifted off the ground, and thrown over someone's shoulders.

Then they hit the crisp air outside the fortress, running atop the thick black sand of the beach. They started at first to run towards the beach, but stopped. Then she could make out that they were running in the opposite direction, away from the beach, towards the thick foliage that surrounded them. Everywhere she looked she saw thick vegetation surrounding the beach and the fortress. She wanted to cry out as they made their way through the jungle that seemed to now be engulfing her, leaves and branches reaching out, smacking her face across the face. But she remained quiet, finding the energy or cognizance to do otherwise, leaving her body.

The ran, it seemed for days, when it had probably been a span of a couple of hours. Noticing no one was following them, marking it as odd, but at the same time slowing their pace as they approached a clearing, they decided to stop. Something told her to look down, to fully take in her surroundings, including the shoulder she was hauled up against. Time cracked and split and sped up, her brain turning over and working at full speed now. She found herself staring right into the face of anger and instead of branches, rage surrounded her, ate her up from the inside until all she could see was red.

Ranma.

The moment Ranma placed her down, Akane turned on him, thrashing wildly with her fist, in her anger, the form and techniques of her martial arts training out the window. Ranma had enough sense of mind to duck the first blow, having remember being in this same predicament with Akane the day before. He lunged at her, wrapping both of his arms around her to keep her from causing any damage. This didn't stop her flailing, so he quickly backed her up, softly but firmly using the length of the tree as an aid to restraining her. He then took a moment to widen his stance, gathering better leverage against her. Her was shocked to see the anger written in her eyes, daggers pointing towards him from her position against the tree. That caused him pause for a second, his grasp on her relaxing just enough for her to slam her knee between his legs.

The pain was catastrophic to his senses. He thought death was eminent as he slunk to the ground. They say that when one is close to death, their life flashes before their eyes. Well, for Ranma Saotome, heir to the Taichousen dynasty, it wasn't his life, just segments of the day's events.

* * * * * * * * *

Ranma stopped breathing. Literally. He stopped his lungs from inhaling air, which stopped his lungs from transferring that needed air to his brain. But at the current moment, the need to think wasn't necessary. What exactly could he say, theorize, explain to the blue haired woman whose head was precariously clutched in Kodachi's unstable, delusional hands that would make this situation any better than it was. Knowing him, if he spoke, he would make the situation worse.

Not that he was scared of Kodachi. He had been dealing with Kodachi's crude brand of...insanity for many years. Regardless of the situation, he would always find himself in the reception of mochi cakes and other sweets to his house, or her showing up randomly and unannounced, speaking of her attempts to be the perfect woman for him. The only problem was, they were seven years old. No, he was definitely used to her.

What scared the brash young man into silence, was the unreadable face of one Akane Tendo. She had relaxed considerably in Kodachi's grip, he eyes glued to the expansive ceiling above her, as if she was taking her time to mentally process what she had just heard. But at the current moment, he didn't have time for her to work through her emotions, he'd let her insult him to death when they got out of here. _IF_ they got out of here.

He fingered at the twine that bound his hands together. Inwardly, he smirked. _Did they really think....fools._ He glanced over to Ryoga, who seemed to have stealthy slipped a finger under his bandana knot. Kodachi had the attention of Sasuske and his guards for she was still cackling like her brain was oozing through her nostrils and onto the floor. So caught up in her maniacal behavior, that no one took notice when Ryoga snapped his wrist quickly, his bandana now grasped in his hands. Ranma watched as Ryoga's eyes shifted towards his fiance, who looked as if she was ready to pounce at any second, danger and glee playing around in her eyes.

Suddenly Ryoga's yell echoed throughout the room as his signal to go, his bandana sweeping in a circle around them, taking out guards left and right. Ranma himself, flexed against the twine, the slim rope snapping and breaking as he pulled his arms apart. The guard directly in front of him was surprised at his ward freeing himself of his restraints, but didn't have long to be caught unaware as Ranma slammed his now freed palm against the bridge of the guard's face.

Ranma stepped over the now unconscious body and quickly made his way across the dining room towards Akane. He had only taken a handful of steps when Sasuske maneuvered quickly in his path, blocking Ranma from his mistress. Ranma grimaced and looked for away around the miniscule bodyguard, knowing that one punch could seriously damage his diminutive form. Before he could let the thought settle in his mind to just push him out of the way, a foot considerably smaller than him careened into the view, landing directly in the middle of Sasuke's chest. Ranma's eyes rolled as he recognized the foot and spun on a smiling Ukyo.

"What?"

"Did you have to kick him _that_ hard, Ucchan?"

Ukyo shrugged and nodded in affirmation. "Oh stop worrying, the little shit is okay." Ranma glanced over his shoulder to where Sasuke's form was heaped in a corner, eyes rolled to the back of his head unconscious. "Does that look okay, Ukyo?"

"He's FINE! Stop worrying! I didn't kill him! What are you two, best friends now?"

Ranma characteristically rolled his eyes and began to stalk back towards Kodachi. He locked eyes with the pony tailed woman, who was in a state of confusion over the events that took place. But once she saw the pure fury that ignited in Ranma's eyes as he stared her down, the confusion boiled into fear. A fear that maybe she went to far, ruffled too many feathers. _That may be the case, but I was doing it for him. I love him, why can't he see that?Nonetheless...he's not going to hurt me. No....not Ranma. He wouldn't..._

She was wordless and abashed as Ranma quickly reached for Akane, her grasp on the young woman's hair relinquished. The fight had left Kodachi for the moment and she just stepped away. As she turned from him, walking back towards the hallway that led to her quarters, she turned to Ranma. "If you can escape my guards, you are free to leave...but this is far from over Saotome." Ranma watched with a hint of skepticism as she sauntered off down the hallway, now flanked by two younger women who had previously been seen sank deep into a far corner of the dining room.

Just as he wrapped his hand around the still dazed and disconnected Akane's wrist, Ranma winced as he heard Ryoga battle cry rise above the panic hustle of the room.

"_Bakusai Tenketsu_!!!!" As Ranma whipped around, he saw Ryoga's pointed finger connect with the door's frame, seconds later a shock-wave pushed back against him as the pulse of power obliterated the door a mere second later. As the dust settled, Ranma re-tightened his grip on Akane and began to pull her forward as Ukyo took the front and led the three out while scouting for guards. Ukyo rounded the corner on a hall, seeing no one, shouted back directions to the group.

They, at this point were running full speed in hopes of escaping the compound before any of the guards either regained consciousness or the remaining forces showed up. Luckily they hadn't been taken to far into the compound. Ranma, who noticed Akane was still in a stupor, stopped for a second to look down in her face. It was blank, showing no anger, none of her fire, just barren. But he needed her to snap out of it. Sighing, he scooped a hand under her arm and hauled her up over his shoulder, allowing him to keep pace with Ryoga and Ukyo. They surprisingly cleared the fortress within seconds, hitting the black sands of the beach. Ukyo came to a halt, a few feet in front of them. Releasing a string of curses so vile that even Ryoga was shocked, Ukyo kicked a load of sand into the air.

Their boat which had been securely anchored before that entered the compound, had been in their absence, un-anchored and was now drifting a mile off the coastline.

"That's the most amazingly brilliant thing any of the badguys have done since we've got here." Ryoga grimaced slightly as Ukyo cuffed her hand against the back of his head before she turned on her heels and began quick stepping it back towards the compound.

"The jungle. If we stay out here, they'll be sure to find us. Lets go." Before the two men could retort, Ukyo took off in a full sprint towards the vegetation surrounding the fortress, its thick foliage beckoning them towards it.

And after running for the better part of the night, Ranma now found himself balled up against the jungle floor, his hand cupping his severely injured manhood, the pain of it all making his eyes water hysterically. Through his waterlogged eyes he could just make out a fuming Akane who stood above him in all over her anger.

"So! Is it off with my head, your _majesty_, for damaging your royal nuts? You lying sonofabitch!"

Akane took two steps forward, her body posed to kick the living shit out of his shin before Ukyo smoothly slid in between the two. "Akane...please." The woman reached for Akane, but she bodily jerked hard away from Ukyo's touch, a sneer thrown back at her instead of the smile she was used to seeing from the young woman. Akane seethed. All she wanted to do was slap the bow outta Ukyo's hair and smack that stupid sorry frown off of Ryoga's lips.

They all lied to her. Knowing damn well how much danger she was in and possibly WHY she was in the danger. But they kept up the pretense of confusion the entire time. She wanted to explode, go crazy, throw colossal sized fit. But she did none of the above. The anger drained from her face, her fisted hands falling to her sides. A pathetically sad sounding whimper fell from her lips as she turned on her heels and moped across the clearing to an abandoned rock far from the three.

Ryoga glanced over to his fiance, noticing although she tried to hide it, her bottom lip trembled slightly as she watched the blue hair woman isolate herself on her man-made island. He moved to her side quickly, shouldering her towards him gently. "Give her some time, we have to think about what the last day has been like for her. It'll be okay, _koshii_." Ukyo looked up and nodded, before silently moving from Ryoga side to help her still disabled friend off the ground.

"C'mon Ranma...we need to get blood circulating...back...down there..."

* * * * * *

Ranma looked around. The three of them had brought their heads together, to figure out the next step to get themselves out of this conundrum of a situation. Ukyo was their saving grace. When the guards had taken their weapons, they failed to take the casing of Ukyo's weapon. A case, that spanned almost the entire width of her back. A case that coincidentally held 'other' things other than her spatula. The flip side contained a long fold, that once pulled back allowed you to see that it could be opened and closed at your leisure.

Shortly after they came here to rest and regroup, Ukyo pulled out a wafer thin laptop, one slim enough to fit against her back without causing her problems. When Ryoga and Ranma upturned their brows at her, she shrugged. "If they decided to move Akane at the last minute, leaving the tracking system on the boat didn't seem like a good idea, so I slipped it in."

Good idea.

With the help of a compact wireless hub extender that Ranma had put together, they were able to pick up a signal through the thick brush of the jungle. Calling for help from such a stationary position seemed like it was inviting trouble, so instead they used the tracking system to first ping their location and formulate a plan from there. In their deep trek into the jungle, they had covered a good two or three miles. Although still very accessible to any of Kodachi's men if they were still searching for them, they were in a position to better defend themselves.

"Leaving at dawn seems to be the best course of action. If we set out a path towards the east, we should arrive in Nakofunakata in an hour or so. The course follows the coastline."

"Good idea, Ukyo." Ranma quipped up, not really paying attention. He kept glancing over his shoulder back at the unmoving figure sitting atop a rock across the way.

Ukyo glanced at Ryoga, who shrugged, as Ranma was amiss to the actual conversation."Like I said...-ahem- Nakofunakata is our destination. From there Happosai can help us..."

Ranma head whipped back around towards the two, his concentration immediately flying back onto the subject at hand. "Did you just say Happosai?" His brows drawn together in confusion.

"Who else do you know, sneaky enough to get us back to Chiyoda City without being noticed?"

"WE ARE GOING BACK TO CHIYODA?? WITH AKANE??" Ranma sat up, pure unadulterated fear laced all around him.

"Sit down and shut up, you dolt! How else do you figure we are going to handle this? They took our weapons, they have our boat playing rubber ducky off in the Sea of Japan, and we have a very frightened and may I add, angry female with us. Who, tentatively has nothing to do with ANY of this, except for that weird battle aura she showed us... " Ukyo trailed off , her gaze landing on Akane's stone figure.

"Hey,..what _was_ that? You and Ryoga are the only one who can call on or recognize chi. Since when did _she_ _have one? _Granted we haven't known her for long, but from the way Ranma was acting when he first felt it, you woulda thought Hiroshima was happening all over again. "

Ryoga shook his head. "They've been calling Akane this 'Inochi' since the apartment incident. I have never heard of that name before. The only thing I can think of that it is somehow connected to her aura. Other than that I have no clue."

"Well, we are heading towards an 'all knowing being' tomorrow," Ranma said rolling his eyes for the umpteenth time that night. "He should know. I say we get some rest, so that at dawn, we can head out." All three nodded as they separated. Ryoga volunteered for first watch. Ukyo ventured out to try and locate anything that could be used as kindle or as bedding, since it was dark and they could barely see one another. Ranma took watch too. Of Akane.

He knew. Dammit. He knew she had every reason to be angry. He knew from the moment Ryoga showed up and they carried her unconscious body up the stairs to his apartment that this very situation would be at hand. Yet with all the forewarning that disaster at the hands of this beautiful blue hair woman was eminent, he never thought that it would be due to someone else's mouth. That he, himself, would be explaining this situation, his life, his obligations to her in a sincere honest 'I've-never-been-so-truthful-with-anyone-else-but-you' sort of fashion. Now as he glanced across the clearing to where Akane has sat for the better part of two hours, not mumbling a single word to any of them, he began to panic.

He needed her to yell, scream at him until she was out of the breath. Yeah, the punt to this manhood was painful, but he felt like he deserved more. Not for making her angry with him, but for allowing her trust to slip through his fingers like sand. The thought that struck him next was comically funny, yet as serious as a heart attack. He was not _angry _that he lost her trust. He was morbidly sad. He was in danger. Serious danger, of losing himself in her. Completely. She was, as cliché as it sounds, the freshest most virgin breath of air he had taken since he was born.

Her fight, her nonchalance, her passion, her indifference. The way the left side of her mouth peaked higher when she smiled, a endearing but almost mocking air in her simper. How she could deck him in one breath and have him speaking in circles in the next. The way she was. Simplistic as breathing, but as complex as poetry. In a few short days, this Akane Tendo had come in knocking down walls he designed specifically for keeping people out. Sturdy, thick, imposing walls, that she was able to force away with just a glance over her shoulder.

Oh, yes. He was in trouble. And he found no way to outwit this sort of trouble. Nothing he could build or create, no invention was savvy enough to keep Akane at bay. _Gods, help him. _

Staring at her like she was going to literally explode wasn't going to help. Musing to himself inside of the knotty labyrinth of thoughts and feelings wasn't doing much either. Gathering his courage, he figured now was a good as time as any, to sort things out with her. If not for her to forgive him, to at least to get her to move from that confounded rock.

Akane's butt was numb. Her back was as stiff as a board and she was sure if the slightest breeze came her way, she would crack in two. But she was a creature of pride, something her father told her she had too much of. Nonetheless, not moving from her self imposed prison was the only way she could think of to broadcast her feelings. At first, it seemed like a wonderful idea. Now, seemingly centuries later, the pain of it all, told her 'this wasn't the way, grasshopper.' She was just about to slink down from the rock, since she figured jumping down or moving rather, was impossible, when she heard a twig snap behind her. She became as rigid the tree she had been staring at for hours.

"Oi...Akane."

_Oh Great. Of all the people, Prince Shithead...._

"Am I dictated to answer you under pain of death, or is a response optional?"

Ranma crossed his eyes, clutching his fist to keep him from saying something instinctual, which usually was the wrong thing. "If I said yes, would you talk to me?"

"I wouldn't have much of a choice, would I, your highness?" Akane retained her eyes forward position, the only thing moving on her body were her lips. She then let the smallest of smiles creep across her lips as she heard him groan quietly under his breath. _Yes, you slimy bastard, suffer! _

He sighed. _Here goes. _Well....I....um...I-I'm sorry." She graciously spared him a sparse look over her shoulder. "That's it? I'm sorry? Hmm, apology not accepted."

Ranma sputtered at her quick refusal. "W-wh-whadda mean NOT ACCEPTED? You can't NOT accept an apology? Why can't you!?" He watched her painfully ease off the rock, rubbing the life back into her butt with her hands as she stared very sharp daggers in his direction.

"Why. Can't. I? WHY CAN'T I?"

A meek voice reached out, still uneasy of the angry and terrifying look she still had. "..y-yeah...why can't you?"

"I am willing to place aside the fact that my sixty-thousand dollar car was blown to shithell because of you. I know that amount of money is

inconsequential to a _Prince _such as yourself, but it isn't to me. I am also willing to place aside the fact that someone kidnapped me, tried to make me fight her, and...made me _fucking _GLOW because of you. GLOW! Like a godforsaken neon light '_glows'_. All of that, your highness, I am willing to place aside" Akane sighed as she ran a shaky hand through her hair "Because at the end of the day you rescued me, when you didn't have to."

Ranma straightened up, due to the tiny tiny light of hope he heard in her voice. She rubbed her face tiredly, before backing up against the rock, leaning on it for support. "But, what I can't let go is, why. Why would you lie to me?"

"Technically, I never LIED to you. I never told you I was a prince, but I never denied it eithe...." The blank stare she gave him, told him that wasn't the correct answer. He took a cautious step towards her, not wanting her to run off like a fawn as he neared her. "But, that doesn't excuse me...excuse us. But please...don't be mad at Ryoga, especially Ukyo. I basically swore them to silence, and they kinda have to listen to me..sometimes...I'm their boss."

"Of course, you're a Prince." Ranma took another step forward, seeing the tense air beginning to lighten. "Well, not only that..." Ranma sighed. He had so much to tell her, he was at a lost of where to start. "Ryoga has been my best friend since I was about ten years old. He is my adviser and also has my personal guard for the last five years officially, but unofficially since we were young kids. "

Ranma laughed at the older boy stern proclamation that it was his destiny to be Ranma guard and there wasn't much Ranma could do about it, all those years ago. "Ukyo, is my oldest friend. Both belong to the Taichousen clan, my clan, but neither are of noble blood. Both entered the Imperial Guard Academy when they were 13...that's how they met."

"Yeah, she told me how you two had been friends forever." Akane fingered the cut on her arm as she thought back earlier today when Ukyo reminisced on how Ryoga and her became lovers. Ranma became aware of the painful looking cut on her arm, crossing the space between them quickly.

"That looks like it hurts..." Un-tucking his shirt from his pants, he ripped a sizable strip from it, then wrapped it around her injured arm. "Its not the most sanitary option we have, but it'll keep dirt out, and if it reopens..hey! Instant bandage."

Ranma's gaze flew to Akane's mouth as a genuine smile graced Akane's lips. That heated the air around Ranma as quickly as he could blink. The collar of his shirt becoming suddenly tight. Before he could even think about his actions, he slipped his arms around her waist bringing her closer and in the next breath, his mouth was crashing down on hers. At first she was shock still and made moves to tell him to remove his hands, but opening her mouth to speak was a bad move. It provided him the chance to explore her mouth, as he deepened the kiss.

She relented. Very, very quickly.

The silk texture of his tongue, doing exactly what she had been mentally begging him to do since he was hired at Taichousen, was almost too much. She was lost, so irrecoverably lost in his touch that she'd physically felt her heart throb with desire. Scratch that, it _was_ too much. She had sat in this corner for over two hours, building up a stern defense due to Ranma treason at hand, and in a matter of seconds he managed to ease it away with a few talented strokes of his tongue. She pulled herself closer to him, stretching her body out, trying to touch all of him with all of her. All the blood from her brain, rapidly pooled between her legs, the anatomy that she had ignored and neglected for so long, dancing with desire. _Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no! _

Slowly, he pulled away from her, his hand trailing up her body to rest on her cheek. With his thumb he traced the ridge of her cheekbone with so much tenderness, Akane felt she would cry.

"I an truly, truly, sorry I didn't tell you who I was Akane." Ranma whispered." I didn't know how.... For the last six months, I've been living a life unknown to me, yet loving every minute of it. Free of obligations, royal decrees, formality and forced pleasantries. And then I met you." Ranma chuckled against her ear, the warm breath doing nothing for her vow to be angry.

"Well, I take that back, I _saw_ you. And the fact that you were attracted to me based solely on the fact that you ...were attracted to me, made me some unbelievably happy. Not because I was royalty or rich, but because you liked what and who you saw...and well." He kissed her brow tenderly. "I didn't want to lose that. YOU, were the best part of my day as a normal man. I didn't want to see the look you gave me when you found out, EVER. But I guess I messed it up anyways."

Akane laughed, remembering how they would interact at work. Him coming into the scene, her abruptly finding any reason to flee. She couldn't denounce or deny that she was attracted to him. Everyone in that confounded office knew that.

"I don't know if you can tell, but I'm pretty trustworthy as people go. I'm just sad you didn't trust me enough with your true identity, which I guess hurts the most. But, I don't think we should...should be doing this....." She glanced up into Ranma's face, scared of what she would find there. The tenderness, the raw emotion she found there was more than she could handle at the current moment. There was too much to think about.

And then the interruption she was both relieved to have happened but...still sad that it ruined this quiet moment.

"Oi! Ranma! You two hungry?! Ryoga found a....um...a something! But it looks tasty!"

"Coming, Ucchan!" She watched Ukyo face light up at the endearing familiar nickname being used again. Without a word to Ranma, Akane slipped from Ranma grasp and made her way over to Ukyo, who held out the biggest piece of 'something' meat as a peace offering. Ranma looked down at his hands, suddenly empty of Akane.

_I just kissed her. She doesn't think we should have though. I can't accept that as her truth, she responded to my kiss, the way she moved..._

Sighing he placed his hands in his pockets and followed her over to the pit, where the rest of his friends waited.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Kodachi fingered the telephone to the right of her futon, anxiously waiting the phone call she knew was bound to happen. The mission had been a disaster, in her eyes. Ranma, her dear, dear Ranma, had been so angry with her. Nothing she was sure that couldn't be fixed. She was positive that dropping that little secret into Akane's ear, would change the dynamics of their relationship.

She was no fool. She saw how his eyes sought this Tendo-whore's when he was brought into the room. She, of course had no idea how involved they were, for sure. But she could clearly see they cared for each other and that by no means was acceptable. She was 'thisclose' to having him all to herself and he'd understand that as soon as this ordeal was done and over with.

He, due to the very nature that she _was _Kodachi, was her destiny. And she was his. It was blatantly obvious. It was love at first sight, when she first ran across him at _Kodomo _tea ceremony. Their eyes connected and she knew she was the woman for him. She'd offered him some of her bean paste pie that day, the other children laughed when she blushed. He refused the pie, always playing hard to get. That silly man.

So distracted by her thoughts, the shrill of her phone caused her to jumped. Rolling her eyes as she composed herself, she reached for the phone.

"Moshi Moshi, Kuno reside..."

The voice on the other end of the line wasted no times with formalities. "Did you do what I asked of you, Kuno."

"Yes, Yes, Yes. There was a spiritual particle scan recorded from Tendo. Weak, but the particles are young. I did all I could to awaken them."

"Good. Very Good. Waste no time, bring the scan, Yangupawa and those you've captured to my building in the morning."

Kodachi winced. _Oh Gods. _ "Uh..hehheh...about that. I can most certainly bring you the scan, and Sasuke managed to get a hold of Yangupawa, somehow...haven't have the moment to ask him, how yet. He's tricky like that. So very small, but so very bright in some instances. You know, if it wasn't for that little guy...

"Kuno...."

"And that Taro, what a lovely creature he is. I'm glad you got him to work for us, boss. You are very wise, to find another cursee from Jusenkyo. Yes, very very wise indeed. Why I'd say you were the wisest wo..."

"KUNO."

"Oh yes....um...err.... RanmaandAkaneescpaedintothejungleabouttwohoursago...."

There was a pause, then an explosion. "THEY DID WHAT??!!" Kodachi was too frightened to tell her boss, that in her temporary fit of grief and shame, that she let them go, commanding her guards to try and hold them, but if they managed to escape the compound, that they were free.

"Never too worry! I have Taro getting his men ready to go after them. They've tapped into their GPS, so tracking them is easier this way." Kodachi waited in silence. She had basically sold her soul to this devil in exchange for something very dear to her, something should couldn't get any other way without their help. Angering her boss was not an advisable thing.

"Bring the scan and the disk to me, now. We'll figure out the rest later." Then an audible click, and a dial tone was all Kodachi heard seconds later.

Kodachi released her breath, waited a beat and flung her head back.

"TAAAAAAAAAAAAARO!!!!"

Taro rolled his eyes from his room down the hall from Kuno's. Although grateful for the opportunity, Kodachi was one woman he could not stand. From her ridiculous hairstyle, to her overbearing haughtiness, even her "ability" to pick good help, which was piss-poor. All of it, irritated him to the core, and he could not wait for all of this to be over and done with. His only saving grace in the last couple of days was actually meeting Akane. She possessed a kind spirit, one that was rare, if not extinct here in this godforsaken compound.

Sighing, he made his way down the hall, before announcing himself before her shoji door. "You raaang?"

"Open the damn door!" As he slid the door open, she took a turn to roll her eyes. He didn't even pretend to enjoy her company. She wasn't use to that from lesser men than herself. She was used to unwavering adoration from commoners. But not this one. The very thought that he wasn't entertained by her beauty, made her sick to her stomach at the sight of him. "Are you and your men ready?"

Fingering one of the twin gauntlets that adorned his forearms, he snorted. "My '_men'_ were all taken out this afternoon. _Your _men are inadequate. I will be traveling alone."

"You think yourself strong enough to take on two members of the Taichousen Guard AND Prince Saotome?" Kodachi snickered. "Very well. Do what you must, but you WILL take Anzu. You are to have them within two days. You are dismissed."

He could snap her neck without batting an eyelash at that last dig, but he turned on his heels and headed back to his room. "I'll contact you when I have them in my custody, Lady Kuno." _Only that foolish woman would think to endanger a child like that. Anzu can't be older than fifteen years old. Yet I doubt he will pass the opportunity to leave this hellhole for a few days. _

He grabbed the coordinates that were delivered to him a few minutes ago, pinpointing the stationary position of the trio. "This only shows how inept the Taichousen Royal Guard is at protecting its nobility. They are only a few miles from the coast, simple enough to track down in a matter of hours." Having a servant fetch Anzu from his quarters, Taro bound up his quarry before walking out of his room. "Ranma. You will pay."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Akane found herself unable to stop the laughter from bubbling over. For the last hour, she was being bombarded with stories of Ranma, Ukyo and Ryoga's past lives in the city of Chiyoda. Shortly after she sat down, the tense air was still very thick; the stocky nature of it compounded by the kiss that should have never happened, according to Akane. But Ryoga had a quick fix to that the minute Ranma sat down and reached for his tray.

"What the hell happened to your shirt, man?"

Ranma looked down, his flustered mind not able to process information as quickly as he would like. "My..shirt...was..." Ukyo thumbed towards Akane's arm. "He finally found a reason for that ridiculous shiny ass shirt!" Ryoga then noticed the hem of the shirt tied around Akane's arm and laughed. "Oh, gods Akane! You really really have to get hurt more often. If we manage to rip ALL of those shirts up, maybe he'll conform to regulation uniform." Ryoga then had to place the giant leaf his fiance was using as plates down, his laughter causing him to grip his sides. "Those shirts are SO ugly, man.."

Ranma scoffed at the two. "I'd have you two know, that these shirts are made from a very fine silk importer in China. They are all the rage over on the mainland."

Akane quipped up. "But... you live in Japan...."

Ukyo and Ryoga both stopped laughing to look at Akane, then Ranma, then at each other, before they both split into even louder fits of laughter. Ranma brewed loudly. "This coming from the two who can't be seen without some kind of head accessory. Ryoga has been wearing that same stupid headband for the last fifteen years and I haven't seen Ukyo wear her hair any other way since she was born! Her mom must have popped her out with that stupid bow attached to her head!"

Ukyo stuck her tongue out at Ranma and threw a bone at his head. "Awww, Pigtail boy is mad..."

"Pfft, I'm not mad," as he moved his head slightly, allowing the bone to fly over his shoulder. Turning to Akane, he said, "These two have been picking on my shirt since I was a boy. You'd think with them being slightly older than me, they'd have grown up by now."

Ryoga rolled his eyes. "You, my good friend, haven been dressing the same way since we were small, that's why we pick. The only time I've seen you dress like you have some good sense, was while you were at Taichousen playing I.T. geek for all the pretty women........" Ryoga held his mouth open mid sentence, while Ukyo smacked Ryoga with her cupped hand against the back of his head again before glancing over to Akane. She held her head down, her eyes concentrating on the food in her hands. Ranma could do nothing as he nervously twiddled his thumbs, waiting for the moment to pass.

Ryoga started, "Oh, um...I'm sor..."

Akane interrupted him before he could finish. "So, you three trained together?"

Surprised at her not being the least bit miffed about the reference to Ranma's lies, Ryoga nodded. "Yeah. All three of us were required to attend the Imperial Guard Academy and graduate. Our clan is funny about that. All members of our clan have been through training, although me and Ukyo here advanced to the Royal Guard training, as we were appointed Royal Court Guards of the Taichousen Noble Family."

"Ranma, on the other hand, was in taken under the wing of Happosai, who you'll meet tomorrow, to learn the martial arts code that Nobles of the Taichousen are required to learn, even _bride_s. Every year, every clan from Chiyoda performs their own kata-esque dance for the Imperial family. Its wonderful. You should attend, if you can." Ukyo smiled brightly. "This year, since its the Taichousen turn to do the BIG performance on the final night and what not, I get to be Ame-no-Uzume-no-mikoto! Which means I get to do the sword dance! That, you can't miss. I won't forgive it."

Akane returned Ukyo's bright smile. "How can I refuse an offer like that?"

"Ha! You can't. That's the beauty of it all." Ukyo turned to Ranma who was picking food out of his teeth. "And boy-wonder of there will be involved too. Its mandated. He has avoided the last ten festivals, if I count correctly. You see, he was more involved with his inventions and gadgets, to ever think about showcasing his talents. Now, here's the rub..."

Ukyo leaned in closer to Akane, her voice a conspiratorial whisper. "He trained for 12 years under Happosai. He's the most talented marital artist in Japan. No lie. Not just Chiyoda, not just Tokyo....the whole country." She leaned back with a satisfactory smirk on her face, before hitting Ranma across the back, playfully. "We are talking brains, beauty AND brawn, girlfriend. No wonder you're like...in love with him."

The silence that instantly followed Ukyo's statement was deafening. Even the creatures of the jungle became silent, the crackling of the kindle in the man mad shift, and especially the talking coming from one, Ranma Saotome's mouth. No one moved for an eternity, except for Ukyo who gaze was shifting back and forth from Ranma and Akane's, a very indulgent smile on her face. "Oops...did I say that out-loud?"

Akane stood abruptly, a uncomfortable, uneasy smile creeping on her face. "I..uh...have to go use the bathroom... and I um..." and turned on her heels, quick stepping towards the jungle's edge. "You want me to go with you?!?" Ukyo called out. Akane shook her head violently. "No! I'm not going far! Just over here behind these trees! I'll scream if I get...attacked, or ate...." and as soon as she was out of sound's reach "or die of embarrassment...."

_I don't...love him..okay. I barely know the man. _

Akane's conscious pipped up, a giggling quality to her voice**. "So you're gonna sit here and tell me you feel nothing for the man?**"

_I didn't SAY that. Attraction is one thing. Love? A whooooole 'nother monkey......Shit. I'm talking to myself, again._

**I'm the best company you ever had.**

_Where the hell was you when I was alone with that madwoman_

**Laughing, my proverbial ass off, of course. Look, you can deny your feelings to that stupid overworked brain of yours. You can to lie the three of them, if it makes you pretty little cakes happy. But I know you better than anyone else. You're so hot in the pants for that man right now, you can't even think straight. That's what happens, ya know, when you don't let kitty down there out to play.**

_Oh shut up._

**I'm just saying....**

As soon as the outline of Akane form disappeared behind a tree, Ranma turned on Ukyo faster than a flash. "I've known you all my life, Ukyo Kuonji, and I can tell that wasn't just a slip of the tongue. What are you up too?!"

Ukyo took her finger to his chest, poking him hard. "WHAT! I like Akane! I like Akane a lot. I like her enough that I wouldn't mind one bit to see her lovely, fresh, _SINGLE_ face all over Chiyoda, every day. So when I, your oldest and dearest friend, see you about to make a huge, life impacting mistake, I step in! Nothing is finalized, nothing is set in stone. You are free to marry whoever you want." By this point, Ranma's face was tomato red, sputtering to find a retort to Ukyo's statement. "Look me in the eyes, and tell me you don't feel for her. Tell me you don't want her, more than you'd ever want that twitterbrained nitwit waiting for you in Chiyoda!"

Ranma lunged at Ukyo, slapping his hand over her mouth. "What the hell is wrong with you! Do you want her to find out! She's already livid from finding out who we really are. Do you want her to find that out tonight of all times?"

"And Ukyo-honey. Ranma forfeited on his right to choose for love ten years ago. I don't know why, but he did. The council chose his intended. Not him. He, nor any of us, can change that. No matter how much this seems like a _very good_ idea, its an impossible one. You know that..."

"Ga'damn stupid rules! I don't WANT to have to protect that idiot! All that "Nihao airen" bullshit she keeps uttering. He's not your stupid husband yet, you imbecile."

Ranma rolled his eyes, grateful that Ryoga stepped in and explained things to his hot headed fiance. "Right, its out of my hands. Has been for a very long time. I've accepted it, Uchcan. You should too."

Ukyo put her hand on her hip, and raised an eyebrow. "Lets see how Akane takes it when you explain it to her."

"I...-uh....hadn't really...."

"I'm saying this as your friend, and as a loyal servant to you, because I love you as my brother and as my friend. Go tell her. Not telling her because you want to keep her at your side for as long as possibly, is selfish. I KNOW you care about her, so its best that the truth comes from your lips this time, not a strangers."

Her speech came to a halt as she glanced over her shoulder as Akane came back into view. Ranma looked to the heavens for courage as he turned to face her.

He gasped slightly because she looked enchanted with her hair wild, her face flushed. So beautiful in that moment, that he almost stumbled when he took his first step. She was smiling, nervously, but at least she didn't look ready to explode. That gave him the confidence he needed to walk over to her, without turning and running in the opposite direction. This would probably the last time she looked at him favorably, he might as well enjoy it.

As he walked though, something over her right shoulder grabbed his attention, him immediately going into a defensive stance. Akane watching him, froze mid-step. "R-Ranma?"

"Don't move Akane! There's something behind you!" Akane was more than willing to stay stiff as a board, until she heard what sounded like a set of hooves against the jungle floor and then wings flapping. She whipped around to find nothing behind her, causing her to release the breath she was holding. As she turned back around, she saw that Ranma,Ryoga and Ukyo were racing towards her, the heads turned frantically towards the air, screaming her name."

Slowly Akane arched her face towards the night sky, to see a monstrous bulking beast flying straight for her.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hola! First and foremost, don't ask me why, but this was such a difficult chapter to write. Maybe because I don't know what I'm doing? Eh. Such is life! I've got a million thoughts running in my head about this piece. I'm so excited! Thanks for reading and reviewing! I ! I'm going to make that a trending topic on twitter. Ha! Anyways…**

**A Delicate Covenant**

"I follow him to serve my turn upon him."

~Iago

Taro stood watching from the distance, under the cover of the forest's foliage for quite some time now. Surveying his prey, he tracked the positions of Saotome at all times, taking notice of his two incompetent, under-trained guards that flanked his left and his right. He also noticed the lovely, fire-spit of spunk Ms. Tendo; an innocent bystander by his knowledge to this situation. Saotome was to blame for her involvement as well. Yes, he fully understood that it was by his hands that she was physically involved, but if not for Saotome's bewitching ways, he deduced that Kodachi wouldn't have wanted anything to do with Akane to begin with.

He wanted things to be clear though, he had no feelings for her…romantic feelings anyway. It was the near friendliness edge with a temper that endeared her to him, even in the short amount of time they'd known each other. It was a simplistic need to protect her, as far and as much as he could without endangering his own goals. Not that he didn't think that she couldn't protect herself; that was proved when she dropped Saotome where he stood. It took Anzu jumping from his side to cover his mouth to keep him from laughing outright.

It wasn't until he saw Saotome weasel his way over to where she had isolated herself and KISS her, did Taro react negatively. It took him a whole handful of minutes to get over the shock of him touching her, but it was a blow to the skull when she returned the kiss. _He thinks he can woo and manipulate every woman he comes across! Does this madness know no end! Yes! It does! I will end this ridiculous BULLSHIT once and for all. _By the time the four people he was tracking had sat down to eat, he had worked himself into such a rage, that Anzu was at a loss of words. Taro snatched the first canister out of Anzu's satchel, throwing the cold water over his head. Muscles rippled and doubled over, his skin darkening to a muddy chocolate color. His face lost all human appearance as an elongated snout lengthened from the center of his face. Wings, a set of hooves, and a horns sprouting from his head, Taro was figuratively seeing red.

Poor Anzu tried to control him, as he noticed that Akane, not Ranma was approaching them towards the forest edge, but it was too late. Reaching into his satchel he grabbed for the other container of warm water to transform Taro back into the sensible man he ventured into the forest with, but Taro had already taken off. A straight leap upwards, his wings carrying him further and further into the air, until the people below him were just spots. Halting and turning, Taro plunged back towards the ground, directly towards an unsuspecting Akane. _Ill end it! Ill end it! Ill end it! Ill end it!! This will be the last time!! _Anzu panicked, but was rooted to the floor as he watched Taro lose complete control of himself.

_* * * * * * * _

"Don't move Akane! There's something behind you!" Akane was more than willing to stay stiff as a board, until she heard what sounded like a set of hooves against the jungle floor and then wings flapping. She whipped around to find nothing behind her, causing her to release the breath she was holding. As she turned back around, she saw that Ranma, Ryoga and Ukyo were racing towards her, the heads turned frantically towards the air, screaming her name.

It started out as a burning tingle in the pit of her stomach, a feelings that didn't hurt but all the same was foreign. It began to grow, uncontrollable and comforting at the same time. It felt as if her soul was being cocooned by the warm security, a blanket of protection. Then she felt it. Again her world has slowed to a crawl, and as she looked down at her hands, she saw it. The glow had returned.

It was beautiful really.

In that moment, her senses heightened. She became as aware of her surroundings as if she had created them herself. As she lifted her head back towards the sky, she locked onto the bulk of animal flying towards her from the open sky. Something started to scratch at the back of her mind as she slowly watched him inch closer to closer to her.

Her center started to burn, her mind ran in a million places, a million voices speaking, singing, whispering at the same time. Suddenly they came together, screaming the words into her mind.

**Invoke. Invoke. Invoke. Invoke. INVOKE. **

She didn't know why the words were in her mind, yet she spoke them, unable to stop herself from doing so…..

Ukyo dug her heels into the ground, throwing her hand out to grab Ryoga but missing Ranma as he avoided her hands in his attempt to get to Akane. Ukyo noticed. The slight humming vibration in the air, the shallow light emanating from the girl, the area shaded a blue-ish tint. The blank dilated stare. How her hair lapped in the wind of energy created by her own body. The changes were aware to anyone thinking clearly, and the only one whose thinking was muddied was Ranma. He was still running full speed at her.

"Ranma! Stop!!!"

"I invoke thee to life….." As Akane spoke those words into the air, Ranma was thrown back as he came face to face with a wash of Akane's energy. Unable to avoid Ukyo and Ryoga, he crashed into them, throwing them both to the ground. Shaking his head, Ranma looked up. As his mind cleared, he noticed as well.

"What in the hell is…."

Before he could finish the sentence, Akane gathered her hands at her chest, her blank gaze fixed on the approaching Taro. "Hatsudou." From Akane's gathered palms, a hazy concentration of swirling energy appeared. Ranma's eyes flew open at the manifestation, puzzled and awed at the same time. Another blast of energy swept over everyone as Akane threw her hands forward, the swirling mass of energy focused into a ball of chi headed straight for Taro.

Taro locked onto the ball of energy and had enough awareness to avoid a direct blast to the face by leaning to his left, but his large body wasn't nimble enough to miss it altogether. The collection of energy rocketed against his left side, his tiny yet brawny wing taking the brunt of the blast. With it being the only thing keeping him afloat in the currents of the night air, Taro plummeted to the ground, the air leaving his lungs as he connected with the solid soil of the jungle floor.

In a flash of blue light, Akane was there as he landed, her body crossing the clearing in mere seconds. Digging her heels into the ground, she propelled herself backwards, cart wheeling away from Taro's massive bulk. Her tiny feet connecting with his chin, sending him flying upright. But as soon as her feet connected with the ground, she had to dodge Taro's hoofed panicked punch he sent her way. Missing her by mere inches, Taro fell face forward onto the terrain. Akane leaped impossibly high into the air, her body turning and defying gravity for a moment as she stayed suspended in the air upside down, before she whipped right side up and plummeted towards the earth. Her feet landed squarely onto Taro's chest, rendering him unconscious as the last bit of air in his lungs was displaced.

She stayed completely still for a brief moment, causing Ukyo to shake herself from her frozen state and advanced slowly towards the suddenly violent girl.

"A-Ak…"

Akane glanced over her shoulder, her chocolate orbs now shining an eerie blue. She blinked once, recognizing the people she was looking at, and then she smiled. The instincts infused with her aura dissipated, as if it were cocooning her from danger. Ranma still froze the feet on the hard terrain of the jungle floor sprung to life as she suddenly swayed and began to fall to the ground. He caught her, tenderly wrapping his arms around her, shielding her from whatever danger he imagined in his mind and soul. Scooting back from the still breathing, very much alive vastness of Taro, he glanced down at her. Her eyes were slowly changing back to their original color, her skin; which had taken a very deep tanned exotic appearance, was lightening back up to its creamy complexion. A strange writing that had appeared down one side of her face had faded until it was hard to see in the darkened atmosphere of the night. Her skin was now balmy with sweat and she was winded and appeared disorientated.

He panicked. He didn't know what to do or what had happened, all he knew was that he had never seen anything like that in his life. It was almost surreal. Back at Kodachi's fortress, he'd bared witness to a sampling of these powers she seemed to now posses. But it was nothing more than a glow, as she had put it. He felt the slight tingle of her battle aura then as well, but it was miniscule compared to the wash of energy he felt moments before. The air crackled and sizzled as it absorbed the brunt of her power. It was as if her body sensed the danger and took over. It took his very trained eye to try and keep focused on her while she moved. She appeared as a blur, a beautiful orchestrated flash of light, bleeding in and out of his vision. The exotic appearance of her skin was akin to a goddess. She moved like a nymph under water, her body flowing with the air currents, as if she had been doing this all of her life. The fight between her and Taro lasted mere seconds.

She looked up at him and smiled, and he felt his heart skip a beat. _Strangest woman I've ever met in my life._ He wrapped his larger hand around hers as he placed his forehead against the softness of her hair. Inhaling as deeply as he could, he was satisfied when she giggled at his actions. _What was she? Who was she? So many questions, this is too connected to be coincidental. I need answers. This has gotten far too dangerous…._

The anger, the awareness of the situation suddenly dawned on Ranma, who was lost his thoughts surrounding the beautiful woman he held in his arms. His eyes snapping forward, they focused on Taro, who was still sprawled in a heap a few feet away from him. The recognition dawned as he took in Taro's figure…

"Taro the Ookii"

He remembered the figure all too well. It couldn't have been more than five years ago, when he encountered this beast for the first time. It had attacked a Shinto shrine in the Takahashi prefecture of Chiyoda, during the early morning; its hulk appearing from the sky and crashing down into the building. It loudly called for a young warrior priestess to come to him, singling her out from the many warrior priestesses' that guarded the shrine. Demanding that if she wanted to spare the lives of the defenseless priestesses that resided there, she would come to him. She spoke with him quietly for a moment, trying to calm him wildness down, but nothing. She had no choice but to fight.

With the young warrior priestess's power being derived from the goddess Ashura and Taro having wings, the fight was moved to the sky and lasted for three days. Eventually the young woman came back, wounded but very much alive after tangling with a beast. She never spoke of the battle, but from that day forth, a look of sadness always graced her face. The only thing she'd ever mentioned was "She'd never forget her pantyhose", which lead the community to believe she had bumped her head during the battle and was speaking nonsense. None the less they were grateful to her, although to this day she still from time to time mentions her "pantyhose".

Now here he was, face to face with it again, this time it appearing and attacking another woman for no apparent reason. Taro's hoofed foot twitched as it seemed he was gaining some form of consciousness. Sensing the movement, Ukyo and Ryoga sprang into action, to stand in front of Ranma and Akane, going into the defensive. Turning to Ranma, Ryoga offered a smile. "It seems that we haven't been doing the best to keep you…and Akane protected. That ends now."

Ranma scoffed. "Don't be stupid, pig boy. None of us are seasoned enough to be out in the environment like this. If I hadn't insisted that we leave Chiyoda…"

Ukyo laughed. "You wouldn't be you, if you hadn't _insisted_. I'm sure next time we'll try to bring more guards. This situation seems to be spiraling out of control…." Ukyo inched closer to Taro, ready to render him unconscious…or worst if he decided that he hadn't had enough punishment for the day. He moaned deep from his chest, as another hoofed foot slowly made its way to inspect his tender chest.

"Don't move! I'm giving you fair warning, by decree of the…"

A ball of anxious energy shot from the jungle edge, wildly waving his arms. "Please! Don't hurt him anymore! He isn't himself! Please!"

All heads whipped around, and Ryoga taking the initiative, leaped at the young man, brining him down to the ground. With a forearm across his throat and a knee across his chest, he restrained him easily. "Don't move!!" Ryoga looked down into the frightened eyes of the young man, but didn't loosen up his grip. He had had enough of surprise attacks and sneaky operations. "Who are you? What are you doing out here?"

Anzu's eyes bulged at the pressure applied to his throat but answered nonetheless. "I'm Anzu, please let me go!"

He scoffed and rolled his eyes. _Yeah…that's exactly what I'm going to do. _Ryoga eyed the canister that the young man held in his hand. "What's that in your hand?" Anzu tried to move his hand that held the canister. "No! Don't SHOW me, just tell me."

"I have three canisters. One is cold water. This one is warm water…."

Ranma's head popped up in recognition. "Jusenkyo."

"Yes! Yes! You know! Master Taro isn't himself. Somehow he worked himself up into frenzy and snatched the cold water canister from my satchel. The other day at your apartment, he had worked himself like this and transformed."

Ranma shook his head. "He wasn't there, what are you talking about?" He felt someone tug on the lapel of his shirt. Looking down, he saw awareness in Akane's eyes. "He was the one who kidnapped me…Taro….He has different levels of…." She sighed and closed her eyes, fighting to regain her balance.

"If I could just be allowed to give him this water, he'll go back to normal..."

"How are we to know that it won't aid him or make him stronger?"

Anzu resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "You are now looking at him in his average strength, but it's an uncontrollable, unthinking state. Freezing cold water aids him in strength. Warm water…will turn him normal. You people are well aware of the Jusenkyo curse. Check the water. It's warm."

Ryoga looked back at Ranma, who after a minute or two worth of contemplation, nodded his consent. Ukyo came over, and removed the canister from Anzu's hand. Screwing the lid off, she noticed the stream coming from it. "Yep...warm water." Ryoga looked back over at Anzu. "I'mma let you up, but if you try any funny shit, you won't like how I make your body bend at all funny angles, got me?" He released his hold on the young man, moved to the side as looked back at Ukyo. Strategically she moved forward, placing a body between Ryoga and Anzu. Anzu dusted himself off as he rose to his feet and removed the canister from Ukyo's hands on his way towards Taro, while Ryoga paced backwards to place another body between Taro, Ranma and Akane.

Taking the canister full of warm water, he dumped the contents over the semi-conscious head of Taro. The others watched in rapid curiosity as the large mass shrunk and withered away to the form of a normal average man. Anzu lowered to the ground, taking his master's head onto his lap. Reaching again into his handy satchel, he pulled out what appeared to be smelling salts and snapped the package into two. As soon as the salts were placed under Taro's nose, he reanimated instantly, sitting upright with his hands flying. "I'M GONNA!!! HE'S NOT GONNA!!..." Taro blinked twice, looking around, as if he had been thrown into the fray unknowingly. His hands stilled and his form deflated. "What…."

Anzu patted him on the head. "You lost control of your anger…again. You transformed and then took to the skies, attacking Ms. Tendo." Taro's eyes snapped wide. "No! I meant to attack….attack HIM! Not Ms. Tendo. I'd never attack her…kidnap…yes….but attack…..NEVER!"

Ranma snorted as his anger started to rile up. "Well, you did asshole. But don't worry, she mollywhomped your ass something good. And you are lucky she did, or you would have had to deal with me."

"That was the plan you, you feeble minded idiot! I've had a score to settle with you for ages! Akane was involved in this because of you! You always …always…" The energy blaring off of Taro began to pick up as his anger rose. _Finally I'm within grasp of this damn Saotome! He will PAY for my pain! _

Ukyo jumped up, wanting to avoid another confrontation…another battle…another ANYTHING for the next 24 hours. They had been "trained" for this type of action since they were young, but she was also a graduate Royal Academy, top of her class nonetheless. No reason why this couldn't be handled diplomatically. After all Ranma, was a diplomat…in title, anyways. This was turning into a soap opera; a dangerous soap opera that, she at the moment wasn't all too keen to deal with after the last few days.

"Won't you ninnys shut the hell up for a change? Ranma, use what's left of your limited brain function and attend to Akane. Mr…"

"Taro…" The angry man bit off his name, but his eyes never left Ranma's.

"Mr. Taro. You have committed a grievance against the house of Taichousen. What are your reasons?"

Taro gruffed at the questioning. He was pissed, for at this moment, HE should have the upper hand, not one of Ranma's prickly flat foot beat cop guards. Becoming aware that he was being senseless, he sighed. What he was probably most irritated at was his attack on Akane. He was doing this for Akane…and for 'her…for _"them"_. How come every time he was involved with a female of any sort, he found a way to totally fail? He wouldn't be this bad off, this confused and utterly alone if it wasn't for Ranma. She wouldn't have betrayed him; if it wasn't for him…She'd…

"Rouge."

Ranma face remained stoic, while the others of Ranma camp looked on in bewilderment. Taro's face pinched tighter in anger, as Ukyo raised an eyebrow "Rouge….who?"

"She was Shinto warrior priestess of the Takahashi clan. She was my fiancée…"

Ryoga took a turn to chime in. "I thought Shinto priestess and warriors weren't allowed to…"

Taro blew out a furious sigh that reminded those surrounding him, very much of a bull. "She was my fiancée before she swore allegiance to the Takahashi's. I tried to convince her, time and time again that our love was much stronger than royal clan bullshit. I never understood where the idea came from. She KNEW that Shinto priestess weren't allow to marry, she KNEW that she'd be sacrificing our future….And I almost had her to forget about the absolutely absurd idea of service, until the night of the new moon ceremony. SOMEone introduced her to the head priestess, quite notably also the Takahashi's Princess. That changed our destiny all together."

Rygoa threw up his hands. "Buddy, we are of the Taichousen house. Any dealings we have going on are severely limited to Taichousen business. Won't don't you take up your grievances with them. Although, I'm sure you'll receive the same treatment."

Anzu spoke softly. "Master Taro blames Ranma, for his act in convincing Rouge to serve…"

"So you attacked the Shinto priestesses that morning, because your girlfriend decided she wanted to serve?" Ranma balled his fist at his side, reminding himself to stay calm, but all the same remembering that morning very vividly. So many things could have gone wrong; so many people could have been hurt.

"Innocent people could have died, if it weren't for that very same Shinto priestess warrior concentrating her powers into a shield before battling you in the skies. And you have _somehow_ found a way to blame the fact on me? All I did was talk to her, direct her to someone who could answer her questions, someone to listen to her. Maybe if you had tried that, you wouldn't have lost your woman."

Anger flew across Taro's face in lieu of the comment. "You don't know what the fuck you're talking about! She DIED because of you! You took her away from me! You took her away from me! You took her away from me!!!" He tried to gather his strength to get up, but amidst his tantrum like rage, all he could do was thrash about.

Ranma turned his head away roughly, disgusted at the display the man was providing for his audience. _What an unbalanced psychopath…._ It wasn't until he felt the weight being lifted off of his legs, did he notice that Akane was slowly crawling towards the raging bull.

"Oi! Akane! Wait! He's crazy; he's going to hurt you! Back up, woman!" Ranma frantically reached for the blue haired beauty, but she quickly shot him a look over her shoulder that quelled his actions. She slowly made it closer to Taro, but still out of the reach of his thrashing limbs. Her body pulsed slightly, coils of blue energy reached around and about Taro, calming his actions, soothing his heart. Taro looked down at her, tears flowing unchecked down his cheeks. "What….."

"Your heart…" she smiled as she sat back against her legs. "…is broken, Taro. Your actions are understandable. No one blames you for being hurt. Least of all, not me." She reached forward, taking his larger hand into hers. "Back at the compound, you were gentle with me, bordering on nice. You didn't have to…but you did. That's why…I want to help you grieve for your loss, since it seems you've been so hell-bent on revenge."

Ranma snarled from his position behind her and stubbornly threw his head away from the scene before him. _He tries to kill her, and now she's being all soft on him. What a crock of baloney bullshit. And does she have to touch him like that. This is ridiculous. _

Ignoring Ranma, Akane smiled at Taro. "It is wrong for you to blame Ranma, or anyone else for Rouge's decision. Especially Rouge. You're not doing a very good job at honoring her memory, if she has passed Taro…maybe you should try to remember the good times you had together."

"But she betrayed me…betrayed us. I tried to convince her everyday…'Just come home Rouge, please'. Thousands and thousands of letters. No response. Nothing. So I reacted badly…." Taro inhaled a very shaky torn breath. "I-I-I…didn't know what else to do. I lost it. That's how I ended up attacking the shrine. That's why I fought her. But she was smart. She led me away from the Takahashi prefecture....over a hot spring. "Taro shook his head stubbornly. "It IS his entire fault…it is….I just…I just want her back…but I'll never have her…never again…"

"For the love of bento rolls! Your woman isn't DEAD. She very much alive. Whoever told you she died, was fucking with you. Cruel…but false information. She's not even an active priestess anymore; she teaches at the academy for healing arts. If you weren't so concerned with ME…you would have known that."

Taro, magically finding the energy, bolted straight up, anger still laced in his eyes. "Don't lie to ME!! I received the letter! The messenger said that the current warrior guardian had passed and the search was on for her replacement. "

"Whatever man….she's alive. You heard wrong. It's a shame though….you'll never get to see her. As a free man anyways."

Akane turned sharply towards him. "What do you mean, Ranma?"

"What does it sound like? He assisted in the kidnapping of a woman under the protection of the Taichousen hold. He attacked persons of my guard on numerous occasions and if those chargers weren't bad enough, he physically attacked you. I don't plan on putting him in jail. I plan on putting him so far up under the jail that the name Taro the Ookii is never mentioned again!"

The fine hairs on the back of Ranma's neck suddenly felt as if they had risen, as a static pulse charged the air. He quickly glanced at Akane, expecting to find her bathed in blue, but he was faced with not her new found power, but a death glare of epic proportions. "Oi…Akane…"

"If you have anything to do with putting this man in prison, I'll never speak to you again!"

He was baffled. He looked back at Ryoga who has found a sudden interest in the sky as he whistled innocently to himself. Ukyo was busy worrying the hem of her shirt as she looked away into the forest, her face matching that of her fiancé. Turning his attentions back to the idiot of a woman trying to glare him out of existence, his anger rose. "You mean to tell me, that after he held a gun to Ukyo's head, kidnapped you, let Kodachi go all apeshit on everyone, and then attacked you in a rage….that you don't want to see this man punished? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE TELLING ME?"

In a smooth and graceful move, a refreshed, alert and energized Akane lifted herself from her crouched position. "I may not be royalty, but I will tell you this. Your sword of leadership must be dually edged with power and compassion. You, right at this moment are dealing with a blunt sword, sir."

"What the hell was that…some kind of haiku?" Ranma snorted at the woman. She rolled her eyes as she turned her back to him, and made her way slowly across the open space back towards…

"Oi! I'm not done talking to you….Aww shit! Not the fucking rock again, damnit!" Ranma threw his head into his hands, angrily gripping handfuls of ebony hair. _I am no fool! I know that a monster like Taro needs to be caged and punished. Look at him! He'd had been running wild, endangering lives, without thought or this so called compassion she spoke of. All because…_ He sighed. Looking over at the heap of blubbering mess that once was a nimble fighting machine, he shook his head. _Blah! Damnit to all the hells…._

Ranma took the opportunity to stalk off in the opposite direction. _Damn woman! I am a PRINCE! I am not made to second guess myself. Stupid blurring back flipping, glowing…stupid woman! _

And then there were four. Taro amazingly was still in a stupor, stuck in some kind of trance like state, his gaze glued to his hands. Ukyo rolled her eyes. "This is impossible. What I wouldn't do, just for one drama free day."

Sighing, she regarded Anzu with cool eyes. "Is he under control, or does he need to be restrained? I will not allow another attack upon my liege or anyone in his party." Anzu turned to Taro, then back to the two guards before him. "Master Taro is actually one of the most level headed people I know…" Ryoga scoffed in the background, skepticism plastered across his face. "…until recently. But I'm thinking with the possibility of Mistress Rouge being alive…"

"Yeah yeah yeah. Any BULLshit business and you won't be able to blink before your head hits the ground. Is that understood? We leave for Nakofunakata at dawn. This is an order, not a request. You try to escape and due to your crimes, every member of the guard will be after you. You can come willingly or be subdued."

"Understood."

Ukyo plopped down on the ground, the exhaustion of the night ebbing away at her senses. For a second, she laid down in the soft clay earth, just for a moments reprieve. But that was short lived as she titled her head back to see Ranma stomping back towards them_. Great_. _Here comes Mr. Congeniality. Why, gods? Why me? _He stopped just short of the top of her head, and she stifled a giggle as his face was bright red, from exhaustion or anger, she couldn't tell.

"You're looking even calmer these days, Ranma honey. Hey, man. Who pissed in your miso soup?"

"You think this is funny? Don't you understand what that weird woman growing like a fungus on that stupid boulder is making me do?"

Ukyo threw her hands leisurely behind her head and answered confidently. "Think outside of the rule book you were handed as a baby? Color outside of the lines? Think for YOURSELF, maybe?"

"That's ridiculous and you know it! What does that have to do with…?"

"He's been caged inside of revenge for most of his adult life. Now you want to take the rest away, when there is a chance that he could reunite with this Rouge woman? If you had to throw away the rulebook, and look at Taro's situation as RANMA...the Ranma I know, not the Prince they are chiseling out of stone, would you have compassion for his situation?" Ranma tried to back away but Ukyo grabbed a hold of his ankle, halting his movements.

"I'll answer that for you. Knowing that the limitation of statue is damn near expired, the Ranma I know would not think about putting that obviously heartbroken and mentally mislead man in a prison. He needs guidance and leadership. THAT's what I can see dancing in your eyes, but your mind is telling you…rulebookrulebookrulebook." Ukyo released his ankle, rolled and regarded Ranma with her hand resting against her fisted hand. "Akane could see it too…and that's why she's glued herself to that rock…again."

Ranma snarled. "Don't mention her right now. I don't have the mental capacity to go over there, and yet again explain myself. Just shush-yay on the Akane-yay for a minute. "

"ACTAULLY….You know what would be REALLY nice? Sleep. It's the middle of the night and…yeah sleep." Ryoga drawled lazily. "Your almost more trouble than your worth, pigtail boy."

"Shut up, dimwit. I'm not the cause of this." Ranma rubbed at his sleep heavy eyes. "Although, rest sounds nice, I doubt if I'll be getting a good night's sleep tonight. Ukyo, if you could go remove her majesty from her throne, she gets to sleep inside of the perimeter with her beloved Taro and company. Ryoga, West. Ukyo, East. I'll take North. "

"If she wasn't so mad, I'd suggest giving Akane South, instead of treating her like she's powerless. She just put a B-E-AUTIFUL hurting on Taro Taro Ole over there. Hell, I wouldn't want to tangle with that bee." Ukyo put a hand on her hip.

"I swear I just told you to hush about that woman. Hell, I don't care put her where you want to."

"Hmph. One minute he reciting whispering sweet nothings to her, and the now she's just 'that woman.' At this point you and Shampoo would make a BRILLIANT couple. Crazy, insane, detached from the rest of society….but perfect". Flipping her hair over her shoulder, she sauntered off towards the boulder to collect Akane.

"Seems you're extra talented with the ladies, Saotome." Ranma rolled his eyes, and then snorted at the newcomer to the conversation, who seemed to have come back to the real world. Regarding the man with sharp eyes, he commented. "This coming from the man who couldn't keep his fiancé warm in his bed. "

"Watch your tongue Saotome!" Ranma whipped around, ready to show Taro what he would and wouldn't do on his watch, when Ryoga smoothly intercepted. "It's probably because you're tired your majesty, don't let him rile you up." Pushing the pulsing Ranma out of ear shot of the bull and his sidekick, Ryoga faced Ranma. "Really, don't let him get to you, he will be handled shortly." Spotting Ukyo and Akane moving in the distance, he nodded. "Here come the ladies. Let's just….get whatever rest we can get and the faster we make it to Chiyoda, the faster ALL of this will be done with. "

The anger instantly drained from Ranma's face. "All…." He discretely glanced over his shoulder, taking in every inch of her figure, sighing to himself. "…all of this includes her. "

Ryoga sat for a second, and then nodded knowingly. "Enjoy what time you can, things change as soon as we hit the Capitol." When Ranma didn't respond, he grabbed his shoulders to gain his attention. "Why are you doing this to yourself? Keep it up, and you won't have the strength to let her go. You've only known her for a couple of days. Smarten up, your highness."

Ranma backed out of his grasp and groaned. "WHAT else am I supposed to do? They tell you how to live, eat, breath. They don't tell you how to love, and they damn sure don't tell you how to fall out of it."

"This isn't love, Ranma. Its infatuation, it will pass."

"You don't understand, Ryoga. You got your happily ever after. You choose her; she wasn't chosen for you."

Ryoga searched for words; he'd never heard Ranma seriously talk about love or anything like this before. He rarely talked about the negative side of his destiny. For the first time in a long time, he could hear the loneliness in Ranma's voice that had probably been there all the time. "I…." He was suddenly faced with a false, uneasy grin, coupled with sad eyes.

"Don't worry about it. When the time comes, I'll know what to do. Let's go."

As they turned and approached the camp, Ranma searched again for Akane's eye contact, and when she gave it to him, he smiled. She turned a raised eyebrow at him as he turned back to Taro. "You understand that you are under the protection of the house of Taichousen. Until we can figure out what really happened that morning, I promise you will come under no prosecution." Taro started, but Ranma smoothly interjected. "Try to refrain from blaming all of your life woes on me, and keep from tap-dancing on my nerves, and you'll continue to be under protection, Bull."

Taro shook slightly with irritation but sat still and nodded his consent. _If there is a chance he'll lead me to Rouge, I don't care what kinda protection I'm under. For that one reason, I'll cooperate. But if this is some kind of hoax, I'll tear that city a-fucking- part. _Ranma accepted and turned North to set up for remaining hours of the night.

Akane swung her attention towards Ranma's back as she strode away, confidently. She would refrain from asking him where that change of heart came from. All she knew was she was warmed, and happy at the gesture, which she knew was difficult for him. He had watched a member of his party attacked by some monster, only for her to turn around and defend him. He was …a prince. Royalty. He had a set of rules that he lived by that circumvented his moral obligations and feelings. Instead of understanding that, accepting it, she pushed and challenged him on his decision. Instinctively, she fast stepped it across the open floor to the North end until she caught up with him.

He recognized her comforting energy as she approached but he, for the most part, kept his back to her as she fidgeted behind him. "You don't have to Akane. I already know what you're about to say." _Hey at least she came to me to cuss me up and cuss me down. _

"No, I…. I do. I want to apologize."

Ranma, eyebrows shot up all to the edge of his hairline as he slowly turned around to face her. "You…you are apologizing to me?" He closed the distance between the two of them and placed his palm against her forehead. She felt slightly warm. _Okay…maybe she has a fever. I heard that glowing does that to you. _ He then began inspecting her for wounds, cuts, or bruises he hadn't seen before. "Are you alright? Do you need to sit down?"

"Yeah…what are you…I'm FINE…what are you doing?!"

"You want to apologize…."

"Uhh...Yeah. I do. What's the problem?"

"Just never heard you apologize before. Not to me anyways. The fact that you want to...is…Wait. Why are you apologizing?"

Akane tapped her foot against the forest floor with slight irritation. "If you'd find a moment out of your busy mumbling schedule to hush, I'd tell you." Ranma stepped back, crossing his arms across this chest. Akane sighed before reclosing the gap he made. "Look. That, back there wasn't my place. Maybe Ryoga, make Ukyo; but most definitely, not my place. I just wanted to apologize for stepping over that boundary. I won't interfere like that again."

Unbeknownst to Akane, Ranma actually appreciated the fact that she challenged his decision. That fire, that unyielding need to voice herself, make her opinion be known, was fiercely attractive. In a sea of women, who constantly told him "Yes" to whatever he wanted; a "Hell No, What are you thinking, you ass?" was actually refreshing. But he'd never in a million years actually tell her that. Hell, it took him enough to time to admit it to himself. He appreciated her. All of her, for all the good that she was, and all the bad that she wasn't. _This is...._

"I…appreciate that Akane. I really do."

Clearing her throat against the look in his eyes, she backed up a baby step. "Glad to hear that. Um….well…I'm going to back now. Ukyo pleaded with me to help her "protect" her end. So I obliged her. She probably just wants to be nosey."

She turned, but stopped as she felt a warm hand wrap around her wrist. "Akane…you do understand something very weird is going on with you. You did that glowing thing, again and…at one point, you were flying…and you really REALLY kicked Taro's ass…."

She stifled the urge to run. Yes, something very weird was going on, she didn't like the feeling. It was a weird panicked, pained feeling, like something powerful in her chest was trying to get out. The world moved slower and she perceived things at a higher rate. She could only achieve a fraction of that sort of sensory awareness, and that's when her father taught her how to meditate. This…whatever it was…was nothing like anything she was taught. How was she to get answers for something she had never experienced before?

Ranma interrupted her thoughts "….felt like Chi manifestation, I don't know. But we are heading to Nakofunakata at dawn. There is someone we'll meet who will help us understand all of this. Go get some rest, tomorrow shall prove to be…interesting."

Akane thought wistfully. _Someone, eh? I sure hope so. _She turned to leave again, when she felt Ranma hands on the curve of her hip. Her pulse jumped. "Now is not the time…but….we need to talk. Seriously. I don't think there should be anymore secrets…so….whenever we get outta here…"

She turned thoughtful eyes on him as she faced him, her hand coming up to touch her full bottom lip. She searched his face, his eyes, something foreboding ebbing on the edges of her senses. She nodded, and then turned away, back towards where Ukyo was stretched out and sleep. Back towards safety, away from the handsome, crass Princes that was slowly stealing her heart.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: HO HO HO!!! Meeeerrrry Christmas. Oh, why am I not out celebrating with all the yuletide glee I can muster? Because I have the worse sinus head cold on the face of the planet :D. Anyhoot a doot. Here's a new chapter. Like to call this one…."All the Complicated Stuff." I literally DUG this hole and happily trying to dig it out so it makes a nice pretty….something. Enjoy!

A Delicate Covenant

Captain of our fairy band,  
Helena is here at hand,  
And the youth, mistook by me,  
Pleading for a lover's fee.  
Shall we their fond pageant see?  
**Lord, what fools these mortals be!**

~Puck

The young girl lifted the hem of her hakama pants for more mobility, as her steps kept faltering due to the thick fabric of the hem. Wiping her forehead, she reached into the lapel of her haori and tucked the message deeper into the folds. She had been summoned by her supervisor to deliver a message to the Royal Taichousen house. Normally this wasn't her job. As a matter of fact, it was nothing AT ALL like her job. She was an apprentice priestess. Not trained to deliver messages. But here she found herself, breaking a sweat against the chilly winds.

Approaching the two large shoji doors of the main dining hall, she bowed swiftly to the two guards at the doors. Noticing that they hadn't removed the crossing spears from the entrance, she quickly fished the letter out, and showed them the bright red seal across the scroll of papyrus paper. One guard regarded the other with a lifted eyebrow, and the other hesitated for a moment before nodding. Lifting his spear, he rapped smartly against the wooden plank beneath him. Within seconds, the shoji door slid open to reveal another guard. She too, inspected the missive and then the young girl who had it tightly within her clutches and then nodded.

"Follow me." She then turned her back towards the girl and began making her way further into the dining hall. The girl scrambled to catch up with her, and tried to match her militant stride. Looking to her right, the guard regarded the girl with an appraising eye. "You're one of Umi's friends aren't you?"

The young girl shook her head in affirmation, wondering how the older girl knew that. The guard smiled, "I'm her older sister." Looking forward again she inquired, "Have you ever been before the Taichousen Elders before?"

The young girl cleared her throat and then shook her head. "Umi is sick today. I've…I've never had to come anywhere near the Gardens, nevertheless to the House….and now that I'm inside…" She looked around with a sparkle of amazement in her eyes. The hall that led to the royal dining room was very long, both rich in décor and feeling and the air held the fragrance of jasmine incense. Her attention was brought back forward when the guard stopped at another set of Shoji door. "What is your name, young one?"

"Rin."

"Aaaah. Yes, you are the one Umi talks about; the one who likes to interrupt classes with her questions all the time." The older girl smiled then reached over to straighten the rose pin holding the girl's lopsided ponytail in place. "Hmmm, that'll do."

"My name is Lum. And calm down! Looks like you're gonna hyperventilate! It'll be alright. The Saotome's are very even tempered and gentle rulers." Rapping her spear against the ground, she waited a second for the doors to slide open. A warmer air seeped out from the other side of the dining room, elevating the cozy atmosphere. The dining room wasn't a very large room, more intimate than Rin would have ever thought. There in the middle of the room stood a low table, with half finished sweets scattered across it, various servants picking up the dishes. A girl, even younger than Rin sat in the corner, plucking elegantly at an expensive looking koto laid across her lap.

Lum took a couple of steps forward, halting at seemingly imaginary line across the width of the room than none of the servants, save one, had yet crossed. Lowering herself down onto both knees, she bowed and cleared her throat. "Honored Noble Father and Mother of the Taichousen Hold, I present Rin. Does she have your permission to come forward?"

Rin looked around in confusion at who she could be possibly talking to, since she saw no one. Then her focus sharpened as she noticed movement behind a large screen, with two seated silhouettes bleeding through the fabric. A gentle voice of a woman wafted through the air. "Yes, she may approach."

Lum looked back at Rin who was shock still in the hallway before the dining hall. Lifting from her knee she stepped back to where Rin stood. Leaning down to her ear she whispered. "Just walk forward and lower yourself to your knees. Bow and then wait for them to address you. It'll be okay. I'll be right here." Rin nodded numbly but obeyed Lum as she stepped forward. Mimicking the movements of the guard earlier, she bowed with her hands held out, and her forehead grazing the textured matting of the floor.

The female voice giggled softly and then called out. "Young Rin, what business do you have for us today, dear?" Rin still facedown, murmured from the position, her voice barely above a whisper. There was silence, and then moments later, she felt Lum quickly bow again behind her. She suddenly noticed a pair of large tabi socks inches from her.

"You know, we can't hear you in your insisting on stuffing your face full of tatami mat. You can come up for air now." Rin sparingly looked up to see a large man whose appearance was large and animal-like. When she didn't move, he bent down, balancing himself on his toes. "Your face is going to start to itch if you don't get up, you know." He held out a hand and she timidly took it as he righted her up.

Taken back by his friendly nature, she didn't notice that her mouth stood agape until the larger man reached across and closed it with a tap of his finger. "So, young lady, I'm pretty sure you didn't travel all the way across the court to stare at me like I'm a panda or something. " Shaking her head, and suddenly remembering her place, she fished into her haori again, pulling out the parchment paper with the seal.

"This, your highness, i-i-is from Chief of Ground Arms Tadao. He says the message is in regards to Prince Ranma." She handed the missive over and watched for his reaction. As long as she'd been employed with the Taichousen house, she'd never heard of positive news when it regarded The Father, the Prince and the military. As she suspected she watched a flush of frustration cross his face as he nearly snatched the letter out of her hand. Breaking the seal in half, he quickly unrolled the paper and began to read. Abruptly as he started reading, he stopped, and stood. Balling the letter into his hand with a loud growl, he tossed it across the room towards the small koi pond in the corner. A servant quickly stepped in and grabbed the missive mid air, knowing it would dissolve the moment it touched water.

"Genma…honey. Calm yourself. You're embarrassing yourself in front of our guest."

"CALM DOWN? What happened last time Tadao had a letter _hand_ delivered and it was good news?" He heard her gently scoff, which set him off even more. "YOUR son has managed to draw attention to himself at that company. Something about a car bombing and…his apartment was…I DON'T KNOW!"

"Well, what did all of the message say, Genma?" She sounded extraordinarily calm in reception of the news. She noticed that the servant had handed the missive to her lady in waiting who had in turned laid in before her. Picking it up, she cleared her throat. "Taichou office….hmm…parking lot explosion….his apartment was ransacked and he is nowhere to be found. The car belonged to a one Ms. Tendo...."

Genma plopped down unceremoniously on the mats, completely forgetting that Rin and Lum were still before them. He released a giant foreboding sigh as he turned back to his wife, still behind the screen. Pitifully he offered, "Please tell me you didn't say Tendo. "

"Yes, Akane Tendo; The one and only."

"For the love of….See, this is **your** fault Nodoka. You agreed with him, when he said he wanted to try that silly stupid senseless job at that company. ROYALS DON'T WORK Nodoka. But nooo, you and that idiot son of mines thought it would be a good idea. And now they don't know where he's at! "Turning towards the young girl in the corner, who seemed to be the only servant still in the room, he bellowed. "You! Sake! Now!" With a squeak, she quickly jumped up, the koto falling to the floor with a thunk.

"Yes Genma, yelling at the servants is the proper thing to do."

He angrily pointed a large finger at the screen. "You hush your squabbling woman! He is a MARTIAL ARTIST. Not a scientist. Now I have to go find my son. You, on the other hand, should be more worried about his safety."

She elegantly snorted. "This is Ranma we are talking about. I raised him to be an honorable and decent man. You raised him to be a fighting machine. My instincts tell **me** my son is fine. Yours, on the other hand, probably has told you nothing, since the skull matter surrounding your brain is akin to cro-magnum. And you don't have to go "find" your son. Apparently there is a lock on that tracking device he created, in that brilliant lab we had built for him." She tapped at the paper before rubbing an elegant finger across her nose.

"He's making his way through the jungle off the coast of …..Tateyama Beach heading towards…. Nakofunakata. See! There! That's Happi's piece of land. Honestly Genma, you should really read these reports more thoroughly, my love."

Rin who had been watching in rapt fascination, bit back a giggle, but it was enough to catch their attention. Genma, who had turned an interesting shade of 'frustrated rouge', remembered that she was there and managed a smile. "You can go Young Rin. Lum, could you please escort our young messenger out? Thank you for delivering that to me."

She bowed at him, and then at the screen shielding the matron bride of the Taichousen clan. She walked back to where Lum was standing and turned, where they both bowed before the doors were closed.

Rin looked at Lum weirdly causing the older woman to respond with a "What?"

"Even tempered?" she snorted out.

Giggling slightly, Lum agreed. "That IS even tempered for The Father. He's always full throttle like that. It's actually quite comical since he's a very sweet man. He and his son fight all the time, verbally and physically."

Rin gasped as she continued to stride with Lum towards the door. Lum laughed outright at that. "Don't worry; it's how they show their love for one another. They trained together for a very long time, and are connected through martial arts."

"Do you think that Prince Ranma is okay?" Rin wrung her hands together in worry. Yet the look on Lum's face calmed her. "If there is one thing I know, Prince Ranma is fine. He was given permission some months ago, to "fill" in as a regular everyday citizen at the Taichou complex, in downtown Tokyo. He was allowed to take two guards with him, and has been living as a normal man, fixing computers and stuff. Something about him wanting to experience life as a free man before….."

Lum halted mid sentence, causing Rin to look up. Paces before them, stood a beautiful woman, staring at them expectantly. Lum executed a crisp bow, Rin again repeating the other woman's actions. They kept that bow until the woman, an elderly woman using a cane to walk and their guard passed them. Spicy exotic perfume filled Rin's nostrils as they passed in all their grandeur. But as soon as the trio was allowed into the same dining room they just left, and the doors closed, Lum snatched herself up.

"Is that who I think it was?"

Lum resisted the urge to roll her eyes as she adjusted the straps around her wrist. "Unfortunately, it was. Shampoo Nekotama. What a nitwit."

"Lum!" She quickly turned around towards to door to see if they had been overhead. Seeing nothing out of place she turned towards the other girl. "She's very beautiful and…womanly."

"Yeah yeah, lots of dangerous curves and a dangerously amount of stupidity to go with it; Overrated."

"If she's so stupid, why is she betrothed to Ranma?"

"No one ever said that brains had anything to do with being a bride. We are lucky that for the last stretch of years we were blessed with a matriarch such as Mother Nodoka. But now it seems the Kami's are playing a joke on this house. The two have been betrothed since they were teens, after a previous betrothal fell through. Actually after several betrothals. After the first one collapsed, this house was at a lost with what to do with Young Ranma. BUT, after Shampoo and her grandmother arrived from the mainland, she was his decided and final fiancée and has been for the last ten years. They are from a tribe of Amazons. She's their princess. Very strange…but very rich. Money talks around here. "

The two continued walking forward until Rin was back on the opposite side of the Shoji doors she first came in. Lum placed a hand on her shoulder. "Tell my sister I'll be by later on to check up on her. You be safe, and remember not to repeat anything you heard. It is strictly confidential. If it were to leak, they would know exactly who to come to, you understand?"

"Yes Lum. Thank you."

She turned and walked away from the building, all of the events of the last few minutes replaying through her head. "That was strange…"

* * * * * * * * *

"WHICH CABINET, Kasumi!?" Nabiki angrily slammed the door close to the fourth consecutive cabinet that yielded no results. Upon hearing no reply, she opened up the fifth cabinet only to find rows of neatly stacked Tupperware, but no serving platter.

Kasumi sauntered into the kitchen, eyeing Nabiki for a second, before going to the cabinet above the refrigerator. "It would be the cabinet labeled trays, like I told you dear."

"Oh. Well. Yeah. I'm not even supposed to be in here. I financed this shindig, why am I doing manual labor?" She commenced to lean against a wall, and appraise the quality of her nails. "Almost chipped a nail, fumbling through these godforsaken cabinets. You know, your husband should rebuild all of these cabinets….you know, LOWER."

Looking over her shoulder at her younger sister, she contemplated thought before she retorted, "That would be wise, if he were say, a CARPENTER, and not a DOCTOR, but I'll ask."

Nabiki snorted. "I've been meaning to tell you; from observing you over the last couple of years…you've turned into a real smart ass. Where is the loving, sugar coated angel that I'm used to, Kasumi-love?"

Kasumi turned towards her sister with a gleam in her eye. "It's impossible to remain an angel all your life, when your husband is a devil in bed." With that she turned and pulled the tray down from its hiding spot. Nabiki snickered at the comment, and shook her head. "Akane would have turned bright red at that….speaking of…"

One of Kasumi's hands found its way on her hip while the other held a finger to the tip of her nose. "WHERE is Akane? I haven't heard from her in two days. She was supposed to have brought the sticky buns." She turned a worried eye towards her sister. "Have you spoken to her in the last two or three days? Did she say anything about leaving or being unavailable? She usually tells us this stuff, I don't understand why she wouldn't inform us of a…."

Nabiki cut her off. "Calm down. If she doesn't show up tonight, we'll just stop by her place. She's a busy business woman of the world now. Maybe there was a last minute…SOMETHING she had to do, away from Tokyo. I have a contact with the police force. If something had gone wrong, _he_ would have contacted me by now." She rolled her eyes as her sister's hand flew over her mouth in concerned thought. "Trust me, Akane is just fi…"

Nabiki was then interrupted by a heavy handed knock on the door. She eyed her sister, who hesitated before placing the tray on the counter space. They stood stark still for a full minute, while the footsteps towards the front of the house indicated that Tofu was on his way to answering the door. Seconds later, he was followed into the kitchen by a man drabbed in a pair of tailored grey business slacks and a dark gold polo shirt. Kasumi blinked at the guest, as Nabiki's mouth dropped open. Apparently "he" had chosen now to contact them.

"Good Evening, ladies; sir. I came in hopes of speaking with your father. Is he available at the current moment?" Tofu glanced at both women, who had yet to utter a word before he cleared his throat and turned to the slightly older man to his right. "Er, I'm Ono Tofu, Kasumi's husband. Um…Soun is actually on his way. This was a party we were throwing together to celebrate his safe return. How can I help you, Mr….?"

"Oh! How rude of me, I am Detective Kuno, of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Force."

Nabiki suddenly found her voice and she walked a step closer. "Wait a second, Kuno, baby. A little confused as to why…."

Kasumi looked between Nabiki and the newcomer before her. "You know this man, Nabiki? Nabiki smiled. "For years. I've made plenty of money off of this tall drink of water here. Going all the way back to…hmm... when he was insane. Before he took up the badge…."

Kuno smiled as Nabiki took her friendly jabs at his wayward and quirky behavior during high school. "I needed discipline…so I went and found it. It also allowed me to get away from Nermia for a while. " Tofu, glanced at his wife, who was still at a loss for words and turned back to Kuno and cleared his throat. "You said you wanted to speak to Soun about something?"

Kuno nodded, and gestured for them to take a seat at the kitchen table nearby. Glancing at each other, confusion written plaintively on their face, they made their way over to the corner. Once seated, he regarded each of the Tendo family members somberly. Addressing a familiar face first, he turned to Nabiki. "There was an…incident, two nights ago. Car bombing."

Nabiki looked confused. "Excuse me for a minute. As you know, I own the Tokyo Grand, seven blocks down. No one said anything to me about a _BOMB,_ they said a car caught on fire, but never released the exact location of the fire." Kuno nodded. "Never mind the hearsay; they evidently missed the pieces of expensive German sedan scattered all over the damn place."

Kasumi lower lip started to tremble, she didn't know why exactly, but she could feel the negative energy in the air. "Where exactly…"

"Taichou Enterprises."

Kasumi's eyes slide close, dread weighing her shoulders down. "So…you are here because of that, I see."

"Akane Tendo's car was the target of the bombing. I can safely report that there was no body or evidence of bodily harm at the scene of the accident. Since the incident, we have attempted to contact her, but she hasn't reported to work since the night of. We came here in hopes that you would have been in contact. We have some questions for her. "

Abruptly Kasumi stood, pushing her chair back so hard that it toppled over. "So her car was bombed….and the police ARE JUST NOW INFORMING US?" Tofu head snapped towards his wife, whose eyes held an unusual fire; even her face was mildly contorted in anger. He reached for her, only to find her hand clenched so tight that he could only wrap his larger hands around her smaller one.

Kuno, for his part, didn't seem surprised at her anger. "However rude you may find that, I do sincerely apologize. I was a friend of Akane and Nabiki in high school. She was a good friend." He bowed his head respectfully. "We kept that information under wraps because we've had our suspicions. Fire or bombing, someone was or still is targeting Ms. Tendo. We needed to know all the facts before we involved the family."

Tofu eased his wife back today to the table, allowing her head to fall against his shoulder as she tried to hold back the tears of fear that were threatening to fall over. "So this was the courtesy visit to inform us of what is going, correct?"

"Yes, it was. " Reaching into his pants pocket, he withdrew a business card. Turning to Nabiki, he placed it in her hand. "If you need anything or have any questions, don't hesitate to contact me. The more information I gather, the more you'll know." He then stood, nodding formally to the members of the family before turning to leave. Nabiki fingered the lettering on the card, trying to take in all the information. The door closing shook her from her revere, and she looked up to find Kuno gone.

Ignoring the startled cry from her sister, she launched herself towards the hall and flew towards the door, snatching it back. Kuno froze with his hand cuffed under the handle of his sedan door. Smoothing out her ruffled feathers, she approached him easily. Without a word, she banged against his door, just under the window of his sedan, the locked hinge suddenly popping up. She slide into the passenger side and closed the door. Kuno raised an eyebrow, not exactly surprised at her antics, and slowly made his way into his car as well.

"Remind me to get that door fixed, so you can't break and enter into my car again, MacGyver…and what exactly do you think you're doing?"

Crossing her arms over her chest, she eyed him coolly. "I'm not my sister and I'm not my brother in law. I'm definitely not my father, who would be so overcome with grief that we'd still be mopping up tears for days to come. Tell me everything you know. Now."

"I already told you…" She reached over and placed a single finger over his lips, causing both of his eyebrows to launch to his hairline. "Kuno…..baby. Let's not pretend to be strangers okay. I've been your go-to woman for inside information for years. I've housed you and your men in MY hotel, free of charge for all kinds of police business. I know all about your "family secret". I am Nabiki. You WILL give me more information."

Kuno glanced at Nabiki Tendo, knowingly. From the cool and indifferent way that she treated him, you'd never suspect that they'd been lovers for the last three years. She never acknowledged him in public, pretending that they were just simple acquaintances from school, nothing more. But he knew more about Nabiki Tendo than any other person, for she allowed him graciously that peek that she'd denied everyone else, even her own family. The cool, level headed, ball breaking business woman was only a thin shell to this woman, but everyone expected that of her. So that's the side she chose to show. Pride was Nabiki's worst enemy.

But she was a lover, oh yes, a damn good one at that. As a child, and young man, he was so comfortable to using his reputation to keep those under him in control. And it worked, for a very long time. Until that night after years of chemistry bubbling right under the surface between the two; she showed up at his house, unannounced, and apparently in no mood to talk. He was in no position to deny his feelings, so he let her control him. And she had been, ever since. Except for now. This was his job, his career. His escape from his insane, ridiculously chaotic life. She couldn't control that. But he'd help her.

"Information is all you're getting. No, you can't ride with me, no stakeouts; no charging in like a damn ninja like you did with the Swann case. You are not a police officer. If you want to pull stunts like that, go fill out an application." She rolled her eyes, and tapped her fingers against her arm expectantly. He sighed, the reached behind into his backseat, grabbing the case file... "Ranma Saotome."

"Taichousen noble, heir. Yeah."

"Well for the last six months, he, with the approval of his clan's councilmen, has been working at Taichou Enterprises as the IT Supervisor. No one knows his true identity, mainly because civilians aren't privy to royals' identities. Excluding _some_." He said as he glanced out of the corner of his eyes in her direction. She remained unfazed.

"So they allowed him to just wander the streets of Tokyo …"

Kuno nodded. "He was granted two guards, and given a quaint apartment. The REASON why he was given leave to do something that reckless was this. As you may know, Taichou had a lucrative deal with Douchler, under the pretenses that it was an advertising company. I'm sure Akane told you something of this. What you MAY not know is that Douchler has a subsidiary under it that deals with experimental drugs, cures, miracle machines…that sort of thing. You remember that bizarre hive breakout that attacked most of the Arakawa? Related to a "special drug" they were experimenting down there, through Douchler."

"Okay…so...what does that…?"

Kuno held up a hand. "Not done yet." He flipped open the case file and pulled out a single sheet of paper with the word "Yangupawa" written across the top. "Ranma Saotome is a very talented young man. Aside from his noble blood, he is a master martial artist and one of the leading technologists in Japan. Ranma was put in charge of this very project two years ago, and had apparently invented some top secret….gadget or device that supposed to …well…I don't know. The problem lies in the crime syndicate. The project was pretty much under wraps until a freak accident at Baku earlier this month. Killed four men staffed under the Taichousen. The accident linked the ties between the crime syndicate and Douchler. "

"So. What does this….gadgetdevicethingamagig and the nobles have to do with Akane."

"The one and only security camera that was present, pins Ranma and Akane leaving together the night of the explosion. There is some connection between whatever dealings Douchler and Taichou Enterprises has going on, and Akane Tendo. That is our mystery."

Nabiki sat back and Kuno could hear the gear physically turning in her head. "So we've got nobles, the crime syndicate, a weird device and my sister." She turned sharply on him. "Speaking of nobles, what does your family have to say about this?"

Kuno sighed and rolled his eyes. One thing that Nabiki held over his head was his connections to the Kuno Noble Tribe. That he was a noble…or at least WAS a noble. He had long ago given up that life, preferring the normal, everyday life he now possessed. He empathized with Ranma when he chose to do just that, because he had known what it was like to have every decision made for him, to be controlled, and not free. He was in contact with them on a very small level, because they wouldn't allow him to deny his heritage. His sister, on the other hand, dived into the lifestyle first hand. She hadn't stepped foot outside of Chiyoda or any Kuno-owned land in years. Not to even visit her only brother. Not that he missed her too much. She was insane.

"I haven't. Due to Kodachi's insane pursuits of Saotome in the past, the Kuno and Taichousen clans aren't really on speaking terms. "

She clucked her tongue at this and rubbed the back of her neck, before sliding her hand discreetly into his. She squeezed firmly, rubbing her thumb of his knuckles. "You can't expect me to stay out of this. MY sister is involved. But…I won't get in your way. I'll allow you guys to do your job without interference. But I will be doing my own investigation. I can't just sit around. "

Kuno squeezed her hand back. "I understand. If you want, stop by tomorrow." He reached across the cabin of his car, placing a feather light kiss against her jaw. "We'll try to figure this thing out **together**…at least for Akane's sake. Just no bravado acts. I don't want to see you hurt. "

Nabiki winked. "I'm the great mastermind swindler Nabiki Tendo. Me? Bravado? Never. I'm not brave. I'm calculating. Note the difference Kuno, baby. "

He placed his forehead against her shoulder, as all he could do was sit there and laugh at her.

* * * * * * * * *

She had traveled for hours to reach her location, as her as she was left no room for anything otherwise. She stepped out elegantly from the cabin of the luxury sedan she was chauffeured in, inhaling as she took in the gallant breath of the night air. Before her stood a small café, still littered with patrons, sipping casually as they listened to the lounge singer belt out a soft melody into the microphone.

"All the things I do in spite of," she muttered as she wrapped the fur lined shawl around her shoulders. Her two china dolls stepped out as well and flanked the car on both sides. Without looking back, she paced her way up the steps towards the entrance of the cafe. The relaxed atmosphere contrasted greatly with the pompous air Kodachi carried with her, but she ignored the looks as an escort lightly grabbed her by the elbow and guided her towards the back.

She took a cursory glance at her escort, noticing him to be around the same age as her brother. Throwing the thought aside she continued to follow him through the kitchen. Once she made her way around, she was directed around the corner leading to an even smaller room, veiled by a beaded curtain that was drawn back as she stepped into the room.

The woman halted in the door way, standing at attention waiting for the other woman in the room to acknowledge her presence. She did so, with a jerk of her head, indicating the tall table and barstool to the left of her. Taking her seat, she reached into the attaché she brought with her, withdrawing the disk and a long sheet of paper, placing them both on the table. The young man, donned in flowing white attire and thick sturdy glasses, made his way across the room to secure the two items in his hands.

"So, I take it, you haven't located the Prince and his party yet?"

Clearing her throat in an effort to knock the quavering nervousness out of it, she shook her head. "No, but as you know, I do have one of the finest on my team currently tracking them down. As soon as he locates them, he is to capture and bring back, the Prince and Ms. Tendo immediately."

"Hn." Was all she said, the other woman turned slightly towards the young man, as he slipped the disk into the computer in front of him. "This disk contains the direct formula, coded and constructed by Saotome himself. " As he handed her the sheet of paper, that scanned information seem to suit her. "…and Ms. Tendo is EXACTLY who I was looking for. It amazes me every day that she ended up working for Taichou. How easy, two birds."

She was about to continue further when the young man at the computer, made a confused noise. "What is it Mousse?"

Pushing his glasses further up his face, his nose crinkled. "Technically, this is the completed code by Saotome. Has his footnotes and everything. But...." he quickly scrolled to the last page. "According to this, he, himself is at a lost to what the missing factor is. He states a power source, which we already know of, and it states a missing catalyst. "

Cologne quickly turned, and hopped across the room past Mousse, grabbing for the bookshelf. She quickly thumbed through a large book, before settling on a page. "A medium and weapon. Tendo. " Cologne shook her head, and hobbled back to her seat and turned towards Kodachi.

"You understand what we are trying to do here, young lady? This is a project I've masterminded for a number of years. The very notion of Yangupawa wouldn't have even entered the same space, if it had not been for I, planting that seed. The scientist I have in place, the seed money I have contributed, the "experts" that were lent to Taichou enterprise…all of that was me. The Prince THINKS that he has discovered and invented something totally unique, and he has not. He was, up until a few days ago, an unwilling puppet to my plan. All I need is the device from him to complete this….. plan of mines."

Kodachi cleared her throat again, unnerved by the steel in the older woman's voice. "I know there are a lot of subtle ways to manipulate someone, but how do you manipulate them into building the exact device you want. What exactly does it do? "

"It ISN'T the exact device I want, or it wouldn't be missing things." Flinging the heavy book towards Kodachi, she settled in deeper into the chair. "And don't question my tactics, again. What does that page say?"

Kodachi fingered the words on the page. "The story of the fountain of youth?"

Mousse stepped forward, grabbing the wall opposite of where Kodachi sat. Pointing towards the story, he began explaining. "The story of the fountain of youth is a simple one. An old man finds the fountain of youth, drinks from it. Going back to his wife as a younger man, he encourages her to drink from it to. When she doesn't return, go goes looking for her, only to find she drank from it too greedily and turned into a baby."

"I have been around the Taichousen household for many years, and introduced this legend to Prince Genma when he son showed an interest in technology. Of course, the end results weren't EXACTLY what I envisioned, who can envision one thing that they plan for someone else to construct? But at the end, the only thing mattered was HOW he constructed it." Pausing slightly, she cracked a gnarled finger, waiting for it to pop before she continued. "Black Tourmaline. Ever heard of it child?" When Kodachi signaled negatively, she nodded.

"Black Tourmaline is your basic black crystal. From the outwards appearance it looks as normal as a piece of shiny coal. But when infused with water from Jusenkyo, it contains a whole different power altogether." She sighed, apparently exhausted. "Mousse, explain to our young retainer the rest. I'm going to retire for the night. This is too much."

As the older woman hobbled away, Mousse detached himself from the wall and took the seat opposite of Kodachi. "I'm trying to follow her…but…" She blushed delicately. She wasn't used to being around people who contained more power than her. Albeit a different power, the ones she was currently dealing with towered over her, making her status in the world seem superficial and unneeded. Only in their presence and only for a little while, did she feel common.

"It's quite alright, Lady Kuno. I shall try my best to explain it in an easier way to understand." His glasses cleared for a second in the darker room and he noticed her beauty, if only for a second before he spoke. "Cologne discovered the black tourmaline crystal from the mainland, where's she from. In order for it to work as she had planned, it needed to be harvested in something else, which would magnify its powers of balance. That power it exudes is called Yangupawa. "

"I thought the device was Yangupawa?"

"That's what Ranma decided to call his device of sorts, after plenty of "encouragement" by Cologne's people. "

Kodachi's mouth rounded to a perfect "O" as she took in the information. _This is far more complicated than I ever imagined. _

"It is a spirit particle crystal. See, human's bodies are composed of basic elements, carbon, water etcetera. But what drives the body are the spirit particles that are contained within each cell…thus our souls. Yangupawa has the ability to reject, reduce or induce a certain action done to the spirit particles. Step one; it takes a "scan", identifying the chakra of a person. You did that with the scanners at your fortress. They were lined with black tourmaline. Now follow me, this next part may be a bit heavy, but the meat of it all."

"Step two, identifying the imbalance in the chakra, typically injuries to the body or within the spirit. And then the third step; reducing rejecting, or inducing the imbalance. This could either reduce pain without completely removing the imbalance such as reduce bad white cells but not destroy all white blood cells. The power to reject is the power to heal; reverse all possible injuries to chakra imbalance, physical or spiritual. And then induce, this being the deadliest aspect because it can speed up imbalance, which can lead to death. "

"So…you're saying that…."

"If Cologne manages to get her hands on the completed Yangupawa; that is the amplification device Ranma is building, she'd be able to heal a lot of people."

"Well, then why all the conspiracy. Why all the secrets? If the parties involved knew about it. "

"That's not for you to worry, because we all know, your hoped for future would not be possible, _IF_ we hadn't done it this way. So just think of it as…a blessing. You've done half of your job, helping us identity what lies within Tendo. After we recollect Ranma and Akane, your part will be completed. "

Mousse stood, and motioned for her to stand as well. He quietly led her out of the café and back to her car where her two china doll entail waited patiently for her. Turning to look at him, he executed a polite bow. "My lady says that as soon as you have Ranma and Tendo in your hands, to contact her. Until then, communication is to be at a minimum." He bowed again and made his way back into the café.

Kodachi's head hurt; something terrible. For one, she should have kept her big mouth shut. Why did she care what the damned device did? It really had nothing to do with her, and would always have nothing to do with her. And now her damned conscious, which she tried desperately to keep in a very dark, muddy hell hole in the recesses of her mind, was poking at her. Something wasn't right. The reasoning, the way things were being conducted all of a sudden seemed shady to her. She ignored the "I helped kidnap a woman" part and pushed it ALL the way down, but she couldn't ignore Ranma's involvement.

This device, this …invention. It was HIS, his finest work, and she now suddenly found herself at an apex of discovering she was helping those take advantage of what should be rightfully his, all in the name of love. As noble as that notion is, if she really loved him, shouldn't she be helping him, not hurting him? With a small chuckle, she threw that notion away, her breeding and single-mindedness winning the battle. "I'll do anything to have him by my side….anything…."

She quietly slid back into the sedan and decided that the nagging feeling at the back of her throat could be ignored if she concentrated hard enough.

S:N: Okay. This ISN'T a crossover…necessarily. This just has a large cast, and I needed other characters. I included and will continue to include ones I love, but only subtly. If your well anime-verse, you'll notice other things too. Why? Because I MAKES ME HAPPY. For those who don't recognize the other "outside" characters…well….good for you then.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: 'ello Loves! I been berry berry bad…and berry berry sick. BUT, guess what the cold gives you time to do! Write! Write lengthy lengthy chapters. Did I mention lengthy? Oh love you guys!

A Delicate Covenant

The course of true love never did run smooth;  
But either it was different in blood—

~Lysander

"Okay, we have to stop."

A tick formed above Ranma's left eye, which was exceedingly bigger than the last tick that formed less than an hour ago. "Taro?"

"No, I am very serious. Look at Akane, she's about to collapse." Taro quickened his step, coming up and tapping the pigtailed boy on the shoulders. "Did you hear me?"

Ranma whipped around, and blew out a very controlled breath. Ignoring Taro, he glanced at Akane. "Do you need to rest?"

Akane looked around to the people she was currently traveling with and weighed her options. The shoes she was 'put' in at Kodachi fortress weren't exactly hiking shoes. They were nothing more than a thin sole and even thinner fabric. Due to the rough terrain of the floor, in addition to her extra-curricular actions last night, she was more than ready to admit that she was at her limit.

"I...um…you see…it's these shoes."

Ukyo looked down and smacked herself in the forehead. "Why didn't I notice you had on the equivalent of bedroom shoes, honey?! Your feet must be through!"

"What's wrong with them?" Ranma stated. Ukyo looked over at Ranma with confusion and thinly veiled disgust across her face. "Whaddya mean 'what's wrong with them?', Bozo?" Ukyo started pointing to everyone else's feet. "Boot….Boots….Boots….Boots….Boots….Slippers."

Ranma sighed. "We are only about thirty minutes from Happosai's place. Do you think you can make it?"

Akane looked down, not really wanting to be a burden to the group, but she didn't think that she could take another 30 minutes of the rocks, twigs and whatever the hell else she had managed to step on in the last four hours. She was about to answer but he didn't give her a chance. He had suddenly appeared at her side, smiling. "Hmmm, the look on your face answers my question." He squatted down right in front of her, and looked back. "Hop on. I'll carry you."

Ukyo sighed dreamily and loudly within earshot of the two, and cracked up laughing when Ranma shot her a look of disdain. Ryoga came over and lightly swatted his fiancé across her rear. Pulling close to her ear, he whispered, "You're extra naughty today…something I can help with?"

Ukyo's laughter instantly ceased. She hadn't been in Ryoga's arms in two days. They were usually like rabbits and as of late, they were more like….well she didn't know, but she did know that she couldn't WAIT to get somewhere private. "Stop it Ryoga. Don't be a tease."

He was thiiis close to showing her how much of a tease he could be when he noticed that the group had started to take off without them. He quickly pulled her close just to enjoy a few moments of alone with her, before he kissed her chin, clasped her hand in his, and tried to make the last half mile of this trip as fast as possible.

And the last thirty minutes of the trek went fairly smooth. Akane and Ranma carried on a conversation amongst themselves while Ryoga and Taro spoke about manly things. Sooner and faster than they expected the happened upon the town of Nakofunakata. The town was small, very quaint, and reminiscent of another town in the prefecture of Tokyo, probably Nermia. As they approached the streets, that were busy and bustling in the mid afternoon hours, they tried not to call much attention to themselves. Didn't matter much, a town like Nakofunakata was used to seeing weird things, bizarre happenings, and strange events.

Even if they had announced themselves with drums and a horn quartet, no one would have paid them any mind. All of the attention of the townsfolk's was diverted to one place. The group, curious as to what could call the attention of a whole town, creeping up around the crowd of people, sliding their way through to the front. As soon as Ranma, Ryoga and Ukyo saw just exactly was causing this much maylay and ruckus, the each in unison smacked their foreheads.

On one side of the street, stood an angry mob of females, wielding pitchforks, large wooden spoons, knives and any other assorted household weaponry they managed to grab. The energy emanating from them was dark, red, and angry, clearly warning the crowd not to get involved. Standing just opposite of the women, stood a precariously diminutive man of stature, an old torn handkerchief wrapped around his head, shielding only…well his ears. Strapped tightly to his back, was a large green burlap sack, stuffed to the brim.

"You slimy, stinking bag of llama entrails!" The leader of the group of women made her presence known as she stepped forward; her weapon of choice…a blender. "If you don't give me…US" as she jutted her thumb forcefully back towards the gathering behind her "…back what is rightfully ours, I promise to the Kamis, I'll jumpslapkick you right out of existence, you shriveled piece of shit!" She hoisted her blender high above her head, certainly meaning business.

Happosai threw his head back in laughter! "These, silky darlings, are MINES!" His eyes enlarged and brightened, his irises taking on a glinting and wavering shape and luster. Reaching into the sack, slumped behind him, he pulled out a pair of frilly pink undergarments. One single tear fell as he held the garment to his nose and inhaling. "Oh…the touch…the feel…of cot-t-t-t-ton….the fabric of our…" Before he could finish the statement, he felt an all too familiar pain shoot through his abdomen, as the leader of the group, bodily kicked him in his midsection.

Feeling his body lift, he soon realized he was flying up and backwards towards the building behind him, but not quick enough to avoid the collision. Dazed with his mind spinning as he made contact with the wall and unceremoniously slid down till he hit the concrete of the sidewalk, he sighed. The leader made her way over and pinned him to the ground with her foot, while another woman came around and yanked the offending bag off his back.

Looking defeated and small, Happosai whimpered and tried to pick himself, but unfortunately as one foot lifted off of him another one promptly replaced it. Happosai looked up, squinting against the afternoon sun, until his eyes focused on a tall, pigtailed boy with a scowl writ across his face.

"Baka…deshi?"

Ranma growled while wrapping his fingers in the cuff of Happosai's shirt and hauling him upwards. "My name is RANMA. RAAAAANMA, you old withered fart. Calling me your stupid apprentice got old ten years ago. "Happosai dusted himself off, and snorted. "Just because you don't like it, doesn't mean that you aren't addlebrained. "Glancing around, he then noticed Ryoga who he ignored; Ukyo, who he smiled at, and then a blue haired goddess.

Dramatically gasping whilst clutching his hand over his heart, he appraised her. She was filthy, dirt smeared all over her face, and her hair looked like a she'd had lost a fight to a rabid blow dryer. But none the less she had the shape and the face of someone ethereal. Quickly forgetting the pain induced by his previous antics, he took a running leap towards her bosom, with a look of pure unadulterated joy. Without thinking she quickly drove her elbow into the top of his skull, shocked at her speed. The others gave her an appraising and appreciative look before turning their attentions to old man clutching his skull.

"My raven beauty, how could you…I'm an old man!"

Ryoga rolled his eyes, and helped the man to his feet. "Oh, give it up Happosai; innocence isn't a trait you were gifted with." Ignoring the tongue sticking out at him from below him, he continued. "It's quite amazing that we found you as soon as we arrived. We thought we'd spend the better part of the day locating your place."

A chuckle from behind Ryoga caused him to whip around. When he did he, for the first time noticed three figures leaning leisurely against an alley way wall, staring at the group. "It never stays quiet in Nakofunakata, didn't ya know? Happi and the other residents of this town have some sort of weird people-fit every day." The figure slinked out of the darkness of the alley way, revealing the visage of a young woman garbed in basic black. Her skin was very tanned, a flawless roasted chestnut of glowing skin. She flicked her dark, almost purple hair over her shoulder as she approached Ranma, while ignoring Happosai; she took one knee and lowered her head respectively. "Your highness."

Ryoga looked bewildered for a catch of a second before straightening his face. "Your highness? How did you….who are you?" _Tom freaking strangers popping out of every damn corner. _The two other guards, males, approached behind and kneeled as well before they righted themselves up. "Excuse me for my rudeness. I am Yoruichi; I have been closely connected with the Royal Taichousen Guard for years. I have, upon appointment, taken watch over our Happosai while he readjusts into a normal life."

"Bah! You lie, wench! Readjust my ass! I haven't had a chance to readjust to anything. She halts all of my plans…keeps me away from my precious silky darlings!" Happosai afforded the exotic beauty a snobbish upturned noise as he regarded her. "The other two dolts with her are good for nothings! They listen to her every command. What kind of men are you?!"

Ryoga failed at resisting rolling his eyes at the old man. Happosai had been a handful ever since he was a young child. His "special breed" of teaching martial arts was an odd brand. It did produce skilled fighters, but they usually ended up with contempt of the small man. "I often wondered what kind of person would be brave, or stupid enough to take watch over Happi. No insult intended. The rest of his students were subjected to some rather off brand treatment. He's a pretty difficult man to control."

Yoruichi smiled briefly as she turned to Ryoga. "Boobs." At the abject confusion she pointed towards her chest, repeated the word again. Still staring at a sea of lost faces she then reached over poked Ukyo's chest. "BOOOOOBS." Ukyo raised a thin eyebrow, as she turned her body away from the madwoman. "Ma'am, we understand what boobs are…" Yoruichi laughed and pointed towards Happosai whose eyes had glazed over. "He tries to subject me to his brashness, but it's not much he can do when his innate weakness for the female anatomy renders him incapable of anything." Shrugging she motioned for the group to follow her. Pointing to the male guards, "This one is Ta'kem, and his elder brother Ral'kem. Twins. "

As she turned and took her first true look at the two brothers to her right, Ukyo tried to pick up her lower lip, as it had hit the very bottom of the floor. Before her stood two warriors, no, she took that back; two GODS of beautifully epic proportions. Chiseled bronze skin flowed like liquid over their bodies, dark brown hair and eyes cut of clear emeralds. If she hadn't completely lost her mind, she'd think every time they looked her way, there was an actual tangible twinkle in their eyes. _Oh. My. God. Either I've been in the wilderness too long, or on WHAT planet do men like this exist?_ Immediately she felt embarrassed and ashamed, to be so open in her amazement of the two brothers, until she looked to her left and saw the same bewildered look of awe on Akane's face. _Well, I'm not the only one_. Something told her NOT to look to her left, but being who she was, she couldn't help herself. If she had listened, she would have missed the very lethal death glare both Ranma and Ryoga were sending their way.

Yoruichi, used to the attention the younger men caused, rolled her eyes. Ta'kem and Ral'kem constantly had the noses of the young townswomen gaping wide. Most people weren't used to their exotic look, the deeply tanned skin and light colored eyes. Yoruichi, Ta'kem and Ral'kem were fabled people, from an island of myth, mystery and classical antiquity. Some call it the land of water, Utopia of Heaven, while others would simply call it Atlantis. Of course, they'd never touched foot on the fabled island. Their history dictates that soon after their so-called island disappeared into the depths of the sea, their people migrated to the country of Morocco. So in fact they were Moroccans, who had spent the majority of their lives in Japan. The story is of course, more complicated than that, but the three of them, as well as the rest of their people, tended to keep a lid on it as the explanation wasn't worth the trouble anymore.

Turning from Akane and Ukyo's display, she faced Ranma and his guard. "You are probably wondering why I knew you were coming? Well. All of Tokyo, all guardians, anyway, knows where you are. Late last night, you pinged off your location. Actually anybody that was looking for you could have found you." Akane snapped out of her stupor and glanced over her shoulder at Taro. _Well that explains how he found us last night. We gave him a bloody map straight to us! _"We've been instructed to secure your location. Ta'kem and Ral'kem spotted you about two miles out and have kept an eye on you since."

Ryoga and Ukyo lowered their heads slightly, irritated and embarrassed that their defenses had been breached again. Yoruichi expected that, shaking her head at them. "No need to feel that way, Young Masters. Covert Operations. It is our job to see, but remain unseen. If you had noticed us, you'd either be superbly talented or our forces are greatly undertrained." Turning sharply, she followed a short impasse that lead to a wide, empty street. "We were given your coordinates this morning and told to report your safe arrival. A royal courier will be here tomorrow afternoon to transport you back to Chiyoda. "

"Why are they waiting a full day to collect us?" Ryoga questioned from his rear position of the group. Yoruichi outright laughed at his question, thumbing a finger at the young Prince. "Father Saotome is rather pissed with his highness. Mother Saotome thought it would be best if she allowed him a chance to cool off."

Ranma rolled his eyes at his father antics. _For the love of. Must he get THAT upset…I know...I know I've made a mess of things, but for him to need a full day...it's just re-fucking-diculous. How the hell did he run the clan that long with that temper of his? _Yoruichi interrupted his thoughts as she stopped the group in front of a restaurant. Motioning with her hand, she cleared her throat. "Happosai's Diner and Karaoke bar. This will be your resting destination until tomorrow. Until then you have free use of the restaurant. People will be in and out throughout the day, and at night we turn it into a Karaoke bar. My idea, actually." Yoruichi smugly smiled. "So far, we've received no threatening or suspicious characters in here, but if you'd think it wise, we can shut this place down for a night or two."

Ranma, who was fighting for just a taste of normalcy, chaotic stability, and spontaneity before being thrust back into a lifestyle he was born in, but not all too comfortable in, took a step forward, facing Yoruichi. "You and your men are fine examples of the Royal Guard. I see no reason why we can't presume as much normalcy around here as possible. I'd hate for my group to cause…" his eyes trailed to his stumpy master "…Happosai any inconviences."

Yoruichi put her hands on her hips and smirked. "Very good, my lord." Turning to Ta'kem and Ral'kem, she directed, "Take good measure. Go to the Shoppe and find something suitable for the ladies to wear. We have plenty of men's clothing upstairs left from some of our overnight guest."

Catching each other's eyes, Ukyo and Akane, clearly out of their minds, scuffled towards Yoruichi. Ukyo spoke up first, clenching deftly on Yoruichi's wrist. "Them? Shop for us! No! Wouldn't think of it! How would they know what we like…sizes and things of that nature!" Akane spoke up too, smiling entirely too brightly for Yoruichi's comfort. "Yes, yes! WE'LL go with them into town! That way…there's…-ahem- no confusion!" With that the two girls, giddy and apparently not thinking will a full set, clutched at each brother's arm as they made their way towards to the Shoppe. "Thank you Yoruichi!"

The steam rising from Ranma and Ryoga's head at the scene before them could have warmed an entire bathhouse for a month. Taro and Anzu looked a bit lost, but nonetheless stepped an inch or two back from the two seething young men.

Yoruichi threw her head back and laughed. "They'll be fine in the twin's capable hands." She didn't mean that literally, but the way Ranma and Ryoga was acting, you'd think she did. Happi for his part sank lower to the ground, as he watched his two young morsels of temptation scamper off. "Just great…." Turning to the ever raging males to his side, he quirked an upturned eyebrow. "Follow me, I'll show you your rooms and where you can take a shower. The lot of you smell like the juice from a garbage pail." Turning to the two men he'd never seen before in his life, he quirked an eyebrow. "And just exactly who the hell are these two?"

"They are actually detainees. Taro and Anzu. Apparently they were in connection with Kodachi and their men, but were detractors from her camp as well."

"And you trust them with your location now?"

"Not so much trust, but they hold valuable information in regards to a certain…person at the Takahashi hold; regardless we couldn't let them go, so they had to come with us. Trust us, Taro knows his place and was put in it." Ranma stifled his laughter as Taro grunted in disagreement behind the two.

Happi glanced at the two men again, taking a second to make a mental note before continuing on.

Turning sharply he led them up the stairway to the second floor, a long narrow hallway with six adjacent rooms. "Take your pick, doesn't matter. The bathroom is to the end of the hall. There's only one. Matter of fact, Taro and Anzu, since you are technically guest, you can go ahead and use the bathrooms first. There are towels and amenities in their waiting for you." He watched patiently as the two men cautiously walked to the bathroom before rounding on the both of them. He pinpointed them with a concerned stare, the seriousness of his demeanor suddenly catching them off guard. "Your father has apprised me of this…conundrum you've gotten yourself into. Amazing you are still alive, you idiot." Gritting his teeth, Ranma asked "And what exactly did he tell you?"

He ignored his anger and his question. "Where is the disk?"

"It was left on the boat. The boat, which is currently floating towards the middle of nowhere, unless the Coast Guard somehow did us a favor and intercepted its "voyage"."

"Did you think that to be a wise decision?" Ranma took a step back, and held his head high, refusing to show any kind of weakness or deference to the older man. "Our only other option was to take it with us INTO Kodachi's place. Either way, they were on to what we were doing. They know. And they want it. And obviously they'll do anything to get their hands on it. It's an incomplete formula, just as before, useless. They were after nothing. "

Happi chewed on that bit of information for a second, and then nodded. "They DO have the disk."

Ranma appeared momentarily shocked but it didn't last long. "How do you know that?"

"The Coast Guard _did _intercept your boat, they found no disk aboard." Ranma made to bop the old man on the top of his head but restrained himself. "IF YOU KNEW ALL OF THAT WHY ARE YOU QUESTIONING ME?"

Happi broke out into a hysterical smile, the gleam back in his eyes. "I wanted to see how long I could keep a straight face! Bwahah! Nonetheless, I DO have a serious question for you."

Ryoga was slightly less annoyed with Happosai, and decided it would be wise for him to step in. "And question is that Jiji?"

"How is Tendo involved?"

Ranma started…but then stopped. "I suppose you know the answer to that as well, you damn fool!" Ryoga physically stepped around Ranma, putting his chaffed charge behind him. "We actually don't know much about her. She's connected somehow because they've been searching for her just as hard as they've been searching for His Highness. All we know is that she glows and can whoop ass at any given moment."

Lowering his raised eyebrow a beat latter, Happi tapped his nose and nodded again. "Very well. We will talk more about this in detail once our transport arrives tomorrow. It's been a while since I've been to the Capital."

A spot under Ranma's left eye ticked. "You're…going…to Chiyoda. With Us. Tomorrow?" Before Happi could respond, Ryoga grabbed a hold of the pigtail boy's arm, and ushered him towards the bathroom, ignoring all of Ranma's sputtered explicative.

Happosai snickered under his breath as Ryoga led this Prince away, before he felt the air cool noticeably as a shadow appeared behind him. Without turning around he grunted his apparent feelings. "Yoruichi…what is it, you damned surreptitious female!"

"Come now, Happi. You shouldn't treat me that way. I only try to serve you the best way I can, day in and day out. Must you be so cantankerous?" She reached down and ceremoniously patted him on his hairless scalp. Glancing at the muffled noises coming from the bathroom at the end of the hall, she eyed the little man. "Don't you think it's unwise to continue keeping secrets from his highness? At this point, as deeply as everyone is involved, you'd think it would be time to just put everything on the table."

Happi turned towards her, eyebrow raised and a contemplative look on his face. "As much as I would love to do that, I see the way he looks at her." It was Yoruichi turn as an arched eyebrow swept her hairline. "You noticed that too? They were very…close as they were headed towards here. " Happi hooked a finger towards the bronzed woman as he turned to walk down the hallway. Upon reaching his room, he ushered her in and closed the door. "Tomorrow afternoon, there transport arrives and whatever they have revealed or haven't revealed will come to play in how they interact with each other."

Yoruichi nodded tapped her nose. "Ah. I see your point. How…unfortunate. I do however wonder how the Young Akane was dragged into this?" Happi turned towards her. "Ranma says that they have been chasing her just as hard as they have been chasing his party. So there has to be an answer to all of this. The connection is hazy…if not impossible to see, but there is one. That's the only way to explain….her."

"Nonetheless, a lot will be explained once we all travel to the Capital tomorrow." Yoruichi smiled. "I haven't seen Chiyoda since I was sent out in the middle of this humbuck town to be your personal babysitter. This ought to be nice." Happosai rolled his eyes as he picked up the phone. "Babysitter…bah. Leave woman, you annoy me….greatly."

"I'd be hurt if I believed that. The twins should be back with the ladies. I'll go attend to them. You keep yourself busy...or…something." As Yoruichi departed from his study, Happi contemplated again the events unfolding in front of his eyes. "There is a possibility…depending on certain things…that it could work…but then again…who am I to say?"

Yoruichi slinked down the stairs and as she suspected the four of them were down there, the two females furrowing through the bag of clothing they had just purchased. Eying the bags, the chestnut beauty smiled at the two obviously happy girls. "Ah, did you gals have fun with my boys?"

Akane lifted an eyebrow before using her hands to shield her words from the two statues guarding the door. "Yeaaah. They don't talk much, so other than being walking bag holders, I wouldn't call it "fun." BUT, these clothes! I'm happy." Ukyo smiled at Akane, who wore the first genuine smile since she was kidnapped. "But I don't understand Yoruichi…why all the nice clothes. A simple pair of jeans would have sufficed."

"Yes. Yes. Yes. It's the end of the week, my lovelies. I turn this run down slum into a "happenin" party when Friday night hits. Pull out some pool tables, some Go…darts…music, fun…plus all the liquor you young folks can handle."

"Young folk?" Ukyo laughed. "Yoruichi…you can't be much older than us, if not the same age!"

As she raised her delicately trimmed eyebrow yet again, she shrugged. "I'm older than I look; Happi keeps me in shape. But there's no way I'm revealing my age, goes against my mysterious ways." Clapping suddenly she pointed to the two guest. "Those idiots will be out of the bathroom soon enough. They've already picked rooms so you ladies can have your pick from the four rooms that are left. Its a few hours before things get crazy, go try on your new outfits. Dinner will be brought to your rooms around six and the bar opens up at eight."

"Well, what are you going to do to pass the time?" Akane looked up from her bag at the "older" woman. "Surely you plan on enjoying yourself tonight too?"

"That would require me to, how do you put it, clock out? I never clock out. We're going to run surveillance around the place, set up some things, so that you kids can enjoy yourself without worrying. Go one, we'll be fine" Yoruichi said with a smile. With that she turned and left, leaving the other women to their devices. Gathering up the bags, they made their way up stairs, finding the hallway empty. After discarding them in the rooms they picked out, they headed for the bathroom. Just as Akane reached for the door, it swung backwards, a billow of hot steam filling the air.

"I don't care WHAT you say! He won't cause anything but trouble! Trouble troub…." Ranma paused his conversation when he noticed that Ryoga had halted in front of him. He moved around the stalled man, after almost running into the back of him. He then noticed that the other members of his party were blocking the way. While Ryoga and Ukyo played footsies with their eyes, he noticed that Akane's eyebrows were arched almost to her hairline. "What's your problem?"

The images of the twins instantly vanished from her thoughts. This steamy, wet vision of Ranma was almost enough to swallow her tongue. Beads of sweat sat proudly on his shoulders, and while others slowly rolled over his sinewy chest and defined abs. His towel hung low on his hips, just enough for Akane to catch a glimpse of that delicious cut of muscle that lead to his lower torso. She gulped as she made her way back up his frame, only to come face to face with a very smug smile of Ranma. Her features scowled as she realized she had been openly gawking at him. _Damn him! Damn him and his arrogance. But …..that body of his. That's not fair…_

Ranma smiled inched wider as he noticed her discomfort at being caught. He mentally snickered. _That's what the little vixen gets for slobbering all over those meathead twins. _"Ah! Akane and…" he reached over and cupped his hand behind Ryoga's head with a smack. "…and Ucchan. The bathroom is free for those who are…"looking" to use it." Winking as Akane turned beet red, he pushed Ryoga forward and out of the way, followed by Taro, and Anzu.

"Mmm baby! That man of mines is delicious!" Ukyo made her way into the bathroom, not noticing the anger rising off of Akane's head. "I haven't had one square moment alone with him. I can't wait for this to be all over!" Reaching into the basket, she grabbed a clean towel; then realizing Akane had said nothing.

She looked over her shoulder to see the still rose colored Akane. _Oooh. Cats got her tongue, eh? OH! Wow! I obviously need a better nights rest, because how could I not realize an opportunity when I see one! _She of course had noticed the rage that filled Ryoga when they had shamelessly flirted with the twins. It was really innocent; she had never seen anything that exotic. Caught her off guard, you see? BUT, the anger that equaled Ryoga's found in Ranma's eyes was amazing. He was truly pissed! She didn't care what she needed to do, but she'd get them together. That was enough proof she needed from her Prince to set her plan into motion.

"And that RANMA, built like an Egyptian god, mmhmm, wasn't he Akane?" She turned and threw a towel at Akane. She caught it and glared at her friend. "He was okay..." Ukyo stepped into one of the stalls, turning the water on. "But that Ral'kem. His body probably glows, could you imagine THAT undressed. Gah! Ecstasy. He looked like he had an eye for you, Akane. That's not a bad look there."

Akane entered her own stall with a questioning look on her face. "Yeah, he LOOKS great, but he talks none. It was like talking to a wall." She turned the water up and began to lather up, her hair begging to be run under the hot water. "Oh my god, this is heaven."

Ukyo giggled in agreement. "So what you're looking for is good looks AND a good conversation?" She had a mental flashback of Akane and Ranma's head huddled together on the way here, deep in conversation. Upon hearing Akane's mental grunt of agreement, she dug deeper. "A good man with a sense of authority and loyalty, intelligence and is in tune with his body. That's….something special. I wonder what you'd do with it, if you found someone like that."

Akane scrubbed away at her hair, slightly confused to Ukyo's line of questioning. "I don't know Ukyo…I'd…" Suddenly the other woman started to laugh. "Those are qualities you find in your every day decent man. But it's something special when you find something worth…."fighting"….for, ne? "Then she began to hum loudly, virtually halting the conversation. Akane raised an eyebrow and filed the talk for further questioning later, and concentrated on sluicing off the days of grime off her body.

The evening rolled around quicker than most anticipated. Ryoga and Ranma had the time to take a quick nap, after all they deserved it and relished in the softness of the bed, the quiet of their rooms; being able to catch a few winks with their guard down…partially. Being seasoned warriors they still were aware of the preparations going down below, could hear the soft hum and bustle of Akane and Ukyo giddily preparing for the nights activities. Eventually, Happi burst into their room, oblivious to the peace he interrupted. "Ah! Get the hell up, you worthless freeloaders! Eat!" Happi slide two trays towards the young men, steam rising from the covered plates of food. "Hurry up and fill yourselves, can't have you drinking on empty stomachs. Once you're done, get dressed. The womenfolk have already eaten and are preparing my eyes for an eye feast of epic proportions!" Happi let out a lecherous laugh, before he turned and slammed the door closed.

They ate their food in silence, and began ruffling through the belongings stashed in the cabinets of the room. Surprised at actually finding decent clothing, they began throwing together their wardrobe.

"Luckily for me, Ukyo has pretty much taught me how to dress myself…." Ryoga stated as he eyed the wheat colored slacks, dark blue argyle vest and white button up shirt. The look wildly accomplished the scruff hairs forming from his lack of shave. Stepping into his slacks and throwing on his shirt he turned to Ranma…"Unlike yoursel…." Ryoga quirked a grin as he discovered that Ranma was more than capable to putting together a decent outfit, despite his affinity for mainland fashion. Ranma had taken a military cut blazer, paired it with a plain cotton white undershirt and a pair of dark washed jeans. "All this shit they have in these rooms, I'm starting to think Happi is running some kind of scam on the people who take a chance of staying the night here. Before we leave, make sure we have EVERYTHING."

Glancing at the wall clock, Ryoga noted the time. "Its eight thirty already? Hell. You ready to go be regular humans for one night?" Ranma laughed. "We didn't do that good of a job the six months we tried, might as well go out with a bang tonight." Ryoga shook his head with good natured laughter as they both exited the room. The swung by the girl's room only to find that they had already left them and ventured downstairs. They glanced at each other knowing that the twins could possibly be "entertaining" them, then sped down the stairs and rounded into the bar.

Jukebox music was playing as good number of patrons had already started to fill the place up. There was a nice looking girl at the door, checking IDs, while two bartenders, both female attended to patrons who had situated themselves at the bar. Four pool tables had been pulled out in the far corner, a dart board, currently occupied by Taro and his short ward, Anzu. Ranma swung his head around looking for a familiar face and was greeted with Happi's, as his head as thrown all the way back as he finished off a beer.

"Ah! Thanks for finally joining us, meatheads!" As the two approached the drunken old man, he reached down and shoved beers into their awaiting hands. "Relax, chill out, and enjoy the night. The bartenders already know your camp's drinks are on me. So…" Suddenly turning to Taro, he bellowed "That's not how you throw a damn dart! Must I show you idiots everything?" He leaped off the barstool he was occupying and made his way towards the other two men in stow, hollering insults along the way.

Ryoga then felt two dainty hands slide up his back and around his chest. The smell of jasmine hit his nose and a smile graced his face. Slowly turning in her arms, he was greeted with a sultry yet adorable pair of eyes gleaming at him. "Don't you clean up well?" Ryoga laughed as he fingered the textured vest he was encased in. "Well, I do say I look mighty fine tonight, but you…" He held Ukyo back by the shoulder to fully inspect her outfit. She had decided on a very flattering smocked black jumpsuit, leaving her shoulders and legs bare. Her hair was pulled up and away from her face, two drop earrings that beckoned lips to her neck. "You like?" She did a nice little turn, affording Ryoga a quick view of her backside, long legs, and dainty high heel pumps she had slipped her feet into. "Do I like…that's an understatement baby…"

Ukyo slyly slid away as he reached for her, waving her finger at him. "I see that look in your eyes. Later baby. Plus I need your help. Play along." Quickly she turned towards Ranma, who was staring at the bar. Following his ling of sight, she saw Akane sitting at the bar, her back to her. Ral'kem, who surprisingly became a charming devil with a few drinks in him, was busy keeping Akane entertained with humorous stories of his and his twin brothers past. At least that's what he had been going on about when she left. She had no idea what could have Akane laughing like her sides were splitting now. _He spotted her before I could point her out. Yeah!_

"What's that meathead doing at the bar? Is he even old enough to drink?" Ranma sneered at the man, who hand had landed on Akane's shoulder one too many times to be considered friendly. "Of course he's old enough to drink. He's just as old as the rest of us, actually. "Ranma rolled his eyes, before squaring his shoulders and heading for the bar. Ryoga grabbed Ukyo by the wrist as she made to follow. "What are you DOING?"

Ukyo had enough sense to look bashful before looking determined. "I am doing what I need to do." Ryoga shook his head. "No, you're trying to do the impossible. Nothing can come of this!" Snatching her wrist from him, she narrowed her eyes, "If there is a will, there is a way. Do YOU want to be at whatsherfaces beck and call? At his silence, she smiled. "No, didn't think so. We have time until the last petal falls, and you know it." Ryoga groaned loudly at her. "FINE!" Glancing up at the heavy footed Ranma as he made his way to the bar, she turned her in that direction. "Go do what you were going to do, damn the consequences Ukyo. This could either be a disaster or a blessing."

Ukyo turned and kissed him on the cheek before hurrying over to the bar. Ranma had seated himself directly besides Akane, and pretended to be interested in Ral'kem story, but the look of steel written across his face indicated otherwise. Akane turned to Ranma, with tears in her eyes. "Ral'kem was telling me how he once had to trade places with his brother, who couldn't play pool after he had made a ridiculous bet. He then had to teach him in a matter of hours, as a SECOND bet was placed on both of their heads. Oh, it was hilarious!" The corners of Ranma's mouth barley moved as he eyed the darker skinned man. _Who does this asshole think he is?_

Turning towards the bartender, Ranma ordered a drink, looking down the bar at Ral'kem. "Put his drinks on my tab." He smugly stated. Ral'kem raised an eyebrow, while Akane looked slightly confused. The bartender blinked once, and then twice before her squeaked out. "But Lord Ranma, you don't have a tab, per say. Everything is…" The smug look slid off his face as he slowly turned to the bartender. She squeaked out a sound again, when Ral'kem smoothly interjected. "That's very kind of you, your highness. But I've already paid for mine, and Ms. Tendo's drinks for the next couple of rounds." Ukyo snorted out a laugh but quickly straightened her face as Ranma pinned her with his glare. He grunted and took the two double shots before him, and threw them back, grimacing as the liquor hit his throat.

At that point, Ranma finally took notice of Akane's appearance. Her hair was smoothed back, giving her an air of sophistication and maturity. There was the black tourmaline stone, that he was starting to notice she wore all the time. She had slinked herself into a strapless banded dress that stopped short mid thigh. Her legs, which in the past seemed short and square, appeared endless and shapely. He caught whiff of a spicy exotic perfume. T breath had halted in his lungs, and he mentally tried blinking but his eyes wouldn't allow it. _Sense and sensibility…._Ryoga took his turn to hide laughter under the guise of clearing his throat, as he neared the bar. He reached over and tapped Ranma's chin upwards, closing his mouth. "Don't get drool on your borrowed clothes man."

He shook his head just in enough time to see Akane turn to hop down off the barstool. "Oi! Akane, where are you going?"

She turned with a sweet smile, "Ral'kem said he was going to teach me how to play pool."

"Oh! So you're actually good at playing pool, eh, Ral'kem?" Ranma turned around to face them.

"I…well…yes, not to brag, but I consider myself pretty decent." Ral'kem took another second to lift his eyebrow in question.

"GREAT! How about a little friendly game, to make the night more interesting?" Ukyo's head shot up and met with Ryoga's gaze over everyone's head. _Pool? He's TERRIBLE at pool! Is he drunk already?" _Ryoga rolled his eyes, while giving her a look that stated that they both knew Ranma couldn't hold his liquor.

Ryoga understood a disaster when he saw one, and interjected, "Ranma, my liege, why don't we just sit at the bar and …"

"No! I think if he's up for it, it would be fun. Isn't that right Ral'kem. Me and…" He reached back to grab at Ryoga, missing a few times before he connected with his arm, "Me and Ryoga against you and your brother."

Before anyone who knew any better could say a word otherwise, Ral'kem, who now had a predatory gleam in his eye, agreed. Calling over his brother, they lead the way to the row of pool tables to the back of the place.

"Ranma! What are you doing? You can't play pool to save your life." Ranma smirked. "Correction, I can't beat YOU, but that doesn't mean I'm not good." Ryoga rolled his eyes, "No, the fact that you couldn't beat Lum OR Marko OR anybody else for that matter, is what lets me know this isn't your sport." Ranma rolled his eyes. "Well if I'm so terrible, guess who's gonna have to pick up my slack?" The pigtailed boy laughed heartily as he walked off, ignoring Ryoga's snarl thrown in his direction.

By the time they had reached the table, the two had already racked up, and seeing as they were the ones challenged, offered to break first. Well into the game, maybe an hour or so, and the superior foolhardy attitude that Ranma so confidently held had completely vanished, in its place pure surprise. Ral'kem and Ta'kem could not only play pool. They were awesome at it. Ryoga was up there in talent, but with Ranma being so remarkably untalented in the sport, there was no match. So far, Ranma had sent four cue balls flying off the table, and then managed to drop two of their balls. To add insult to injury, every time Ranma goofed up, Ral'kem would high five Akane from her position near the wall. Ranma was RED with anger, so much that the white knuckled grip on his pool stick signaled he was seconds from snapping it in half. Even Taro had made a passing comment on the foolishness of Ranma's actions before scampering off due to the heat of Ranma's glare.

Ukyo for her part was actually beginning to get worried. She had convinced Ral'kem to charm Akane in an effort to make Ranma a little jealous. You know to…push him towards admitting his feelings for Akane. But Ral'kem, from the looks of it was damn near charming the pants off Akane and causing Ranma's blood pressure to sky rocket. She was relieved when Ta'kem sunk the eight ball declaring the end of the match, but grimaced when his brother picked Akane off of her stool and mischievously swung her around in victory. Although laughing, she did motion for him to put her down, but the damage had been done. At that point the pool cue DID snap. Ranma bowed quickly to the brothers, with Ryoga rolling his eyes at the disastrous turn the night took. He was about to follow Ranma as he made his way outside but Ukyo stopped him.

"He's drunk. Pride is bruised. He's a big kid, let him shake it off." But Akane noticed. She noticed his anger rising, it was almost impossible to not feel it; it was as tangible as an electric current. She was certain he was glowing red after every socket was sunk. She wasn't making it any better, playing up to Ral'kem surprisingly easy demeanor. What a few drinks could do to loosen a guy up! Maybe it was because Yoruichi has given them the night off, and was nowhere to be found. But she did that because Ranma knew better. He had a tendency to act like a macho pig, shoving superiority around. But watching him as he walked away, shoulders slumped, she started to worry if this was more than him trying to prove pecking order. She slide from her chair and quietly followed him outside.

When she rounded the corner, she didn't find him outside, nor walking down the streets. Scratching her head, she turned to go inside, until she looked to her left and saw a flight of stairs leading, presumably to the roof of the establishment. She bit her lip, looking around, and took to the stairs, careful to be quiet, just in case. Once she reached the top of the stairs, it did in fact lead to a roof, to which she found the pig tailed noble, staring over the city of Nakofunakata. She placed her foot softly down as she reached the top step.

"I hear you Akane."

She was startled and almost stumbled onto the flat of the roof before she regained her composure. "Well, I just …I came up here...followed you actually…to see if you were alright."

"Why wouldn't I be?" Ranma had still yet to turn around and face her, talking to her with his back turned. "I'm just fine…and you looked like you were JUST fine too." Akane rolled her eyes, and released an exasperated breath. "Whatever, Ranma. Just came to check on you, now that I know you're JUST FINE, I'll be leaving."

Ranma gritted his teeth. Truth be told, or truth be evident actually, he knew he was being a sore loser, in more ways than one. The pool game was a poor attempt at him establishing some kind of equilibrium, in a place foreign to him. He hadn't done anything worthy of his station, hell, for DAYS now, and he figured if he could just prove himself...._Sounds all the more stupid now that I think about it._

And seeing her completely at ease around that muscle brained freak of nature equally pissed him off. Did they NOT just share a kiss so good…He sighed. How could she…what did she find attractive in that idiot. _I just wanted to spend some time with her before…_

"Akane wait…." He heard her footsteps slow down a bit, and he turned towards her, finally. But, by the all the Kamis did she look delectable tonight. Sultry and alluring. A side he had yet to see, but thankful to have witnessed tonight. Come to think of it, he had come to see a variant of sides to Akane in such a short amount of time. Maybe that's why he felt so strongly for her. Maybe strongly wasn't a STRONG enough word to describe it. But he knew it was something powerful, and he cursed his luck again.

"I'm sorry; I ….I'm being an idiot. I'm a little hammered and I acted like a total ass down there." Akane offered up a raised eyebrow and a soft "Hn." Walking closer to where he stood, she nudged him a little with her elbow. "Forgiven. Ukyo told me you couldn't play a lick of pool. Why would you set yourself up for that?"

Ranma laughed softly. "I...I really don't have an excuse for that would make sense…except for…_Honesty works, man. Use it! _…well, I figured if I won the game, you'd stop hanging all over that rallytally'kem guy."

His cheeks redden slightly as Akane threw her whole head back in laughter. "You...you can't be serious…" She broke out in between gasp of breath. Ranma turned towards her, embarrassed and angry. "Whaddya mean am I serious?! You've been all over that can of 'roids since we got here. Figured he was trying to make you his and you weren't fighting it real hard, I can tell you that! "

Akane stepped a little closer to him after her laughter died down. "I don't belong to anyone, especially that "can of 'roids" as you put it. I'm here because it's my destiny to be here; otherwise I'd be comfy in my bed, reading a romance novel…crossword puzzle or something trivial…. and boring like that. I'm trying to have a good time while I'm being held at the ankles upside down. I am…however, sorry if you mistook my behavior for anything else."

She turned and offered him a soft smile and giggled a bit when his hand flew behind his head in the boyish gesture she was so use to seeing from him. He did, look rather, different tonight. He looked relaxed; I guess that's how she could put it. Regardless of tonight's events, she was looking at Ranma at his most ordinary. Simple, yet trendy clothing, an easy grin on his face…all of it was suddenly too irresistible. She received a glimpse of what it would be like if she'd met and fell for Ranma, as an ordinary man. How ordinary love seemed so…unreachable.

A breeze suddenly caught her, and she was reminded that she was extremely underdressed for the outside conditions of the late winter weather. Ranma noticed, sliding his blazer off his arms and wrapping it around her shivering shoulders. He then rubbed her arms rapidly, hoping the friction would warm her up quickly. Akane looked down at his hands, his strong capable hands, and the few drinks that she indulged in had her thoughts traveling south…FAST. She smoothly stepped into the circle of his arms, eradicating the barrier between them. Biting her lip she looked up at him.

"That won't work…here…like this." Bravely, she slowly slipped her hands up his sides, catching every ridge of his defined physique, before wrapping her arms around his torso. "This way…we both stay warm." She rested her head up against the solidness of his chest, and inhaled his scent. She felt him tighten up where she touched him, then felt him relax as he in turned wrapped his arms around her, resting his head on top of hers. She felt him smile…then heard him chuckle. "What's so funny?"

"Oh, just thinking about how small and uncomplicated you look now, when less than 24 hours ago, you were an exotic killing machine. You…you were a sight, with your hair all over the place, that eerie calm look in your eye. But tonight, you're exquisite Akane….beautiful." The butterflies that Akane felt slide up her spine, almost knocked the wind out of her; they were delicious. Without notice, Ranma began to sway with the music playing below, which was loud enough for them to hear. A song reminiscent of "not knowing you….but wanting you…"

"I've always wanted to dance with you, ever since that one Halloween party at Taichou. The one where you dressed up as gypsy, dancing all over the place. I went "She probably feels good to hold"…and look at me…dancing and holding you. I think I can die happy now…" He chuckled as he impulsively kissed the top of her head. "I want to tell you something…and I need for you…you to listen to me okay. I care…more than I think I should. I've thought about this long and hard, and I figured I'd just tell you. I think I'm fall-"

Akane suddenly unwrapped herself from around him and stepped back, her head still bent. "What are we doing…why are we doing this…Nothing can come of this…" _Don't tell me what I think you're going to tell me. I know I can't have you please…_

"If you think that…then why are you here?" Ranma reached out again, grabbing her by her wrist. _This is selfish…this is stupid. She's right. Nothing can come of this. But why do I want this so bad. Just one night. As an ordinary man, with an extraordinary woman. Please._

She wasn't royalty; she knew had no future with him….but at least… Akane felt him pull lightly against her wrist, and she resisted none. Without any other preamble, he reached down and possessively took her lips against his. Trying to make her understand with this kiss, the passion….his feelings, he held for her.

She pulled away slightly, running the tip of her tongue across his bottom lip, smiling as he shivered slightly. Reaching down, she laced her fingers with his. "It's cold, Ranma…." With her hand still intertwined with his, she began to walk towards the stairs. When they reached the inside of the bar, it was full to the brim with patrons, but it was still easy to spot Ryoga and Ukyo meshing into one person in a dark corner of the bar, Taro, Anzu and the Twins had taken over a pool table and Happi was scamming some young man out of his hard earned money at the dart boards. Slinking through the crowd, they made it up the stairs and towards Akane's room. They entered and with a note of finality, closed the door.

"Oh, it's SO much warmer in here than it was outside." When Ranma said nothing, she turned and the base of her stomach turned to jelly as she locked gazes with his. With a darkened fire in his eyes, he padded across the room like a panther, dark and mysterious until he was right up on her. "Turn around." Unable to deny him anything, she spun slowly, leaning against the door frame for support. She felt a feather light kiss against her the base of her neck, her heart fluttering from the sensation. He continued kissing her down her back until he ran into the hem of her dress. Biting his lip, he lightly took his fingers, reaching for the zipper. When she didn't stop him, he slowly pulled on the zipper. He was surprised to find a Gemini zodiac symbol midway down her back. "This explains a lot…"

When she felt her dress pool around her knees, she turned again, facing Ranma only in a strapless bra and a lacy slip of panties. Ranma gulped audibly and he took her image in. There was something he knew he hadn't done in his life to deserve this, but he thanked every Kami he would think of, for this moment. She whispered his name and in a heartbeat his lips clamped down on hers, claiming them in a passionate kiss. Mirroring his fervor, Akane returned the kiss. Ranma's hands unable to contain themselves were suddenly all over Akane, touching everything and anything he could. Unsatisfied with the access he had, while she had none, she began to rip at his clothes, dying to touch every sinewy muscle she could.

She felt as if she was going to melt if it weren't for Ranma's hands keeping her in one piece. As soon as she was satisfied with his state of undress, she pushed against him, causing him to fall back onto the bed behind him. He reached for her, pulling her down on top of him, reveling in how soft her body was, how it curved up against his perfectly. Rolling them over, so she was under him, he paused. The seriousness in his eyes as he looked down at her caused her to reach out with trembling fingers and traced the soft edges of his lips. He took her hand in his and kissed her fingertips before placing his forehead against hers. "I want you, Akane…in every way possible. In ways that aren't even possible. I've never wanted anyone this bad, and I doubt I ever will…"

"I'm here Ranma…I'm not going anywhere." She sighed as his breath caressed her cheek. She closed her eyes against the sensation of having him so close, so very close. Had she not dreamed of this for months, even before this whole fiasco started? She yearned for him, pleaded for him, even prayed for him at times. And he was here…so close.

_Fuck. I fell in love with him. _

She fell in love with something she couldn't have, something she wasn't meant to have, and the thought almost brought her to tears. A thought crossed her mind…"_A Bird could love a Fish…but where will they live_?" For a moment she wanted to just fly away…leave the ocean behind. Sighing, she opened her eyes again, only to be caught in the intensity of Ranma's stare again. _I'll just hold my breath…just for tonight._ She reached up and placed soft kisses against the base of his throat, causing him to inhale sharply. "I'll just hold my breath…just for tonight, Ranma." Not quite sure what she meant by that statement, he put the thought aside as she slide her arms around his neck and pulled him down for another kiss.

His hand flowed down her body, stopping at the rim of her underwear. He looked back down at her, as she nodded her consent. Piece after piece of clothing following until they were both gloriously naked in front of each other. He ran his fingers through her hair and then kissed her very softly. He was posed over her entrance and moments later she surrounded him with a sweet warm love. In one step, that he repeated over and over until the base of his spine tingled, he'd taken a step with her that solidified his feelings with her. And as they both reached their climax together, he bit his lip before he screamed out his love for a woman he could never have.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Uh Yeah. **** I just wanted to say HAALLLOOO to all my reviewers! You guys are so wickedly awesome! Especially ****Angela Jewell, tomboy 26, , chesnutsy, CharlieBarrow, GlacierBlueRose****, ****LittleDragon5, SpiritDweller13, Soulfire… *inhales breath* …ALL OF YOU! I LOOOOOOVE YOU *big sparkly eyes and spirit fingers* **

A Delicate Covenant

"O coward conscience, how dost thou afflict me!"

~Richard

Blink.

The ceiling above her was unfamiliar, but then again, who really studies ceilings? This one was just as unremarkable as any other ceiling she'd looked at. When she closed her eyes, the ceiling would disappear and she could pretend she never saw it. Could pretend that she wasn't laying flat on her back, covers pulled to her chin….

Alone.

Moments before she had smiled herself awake, reveling in the memory of why her arms were so tired [from holding him all night], her lips so swollen [from all of his sweet sweet kisses] and her thighs a tad bit sore [from….]

With those thoughts tugging at the corners of her lips, she reached over, only to find the covers cool and no physical body there to warm them. She snatched the pillow next to her with force, dragging it over her face. She tried not to care, not to cry, not to do anything. If she could just sit here while the world around her disappeared, she'd think she'd be _just_ fine. Of course there were answers to questions she wanted but never asked. There were explanations she wouldn't seek and reassurances that she would ignore. She wasn't pathetic; nothing that happened last night was a surprise. She'd wanted it, wanton and willing. Just any thoughts of the morning after or what she would have to face flew out of a proverbial window the moment his lips touched hers. The moment his touch became a need. The moment his scent calmed her.

Rolling her eyes at her own self angst, she sat up, warily rubbing her hands across her sleep swollen eyes. _Let me get up and face whatever is on the other side of that door. _Wrapping the sheet around herself, she gathered herself and stood. She looked around for her clothing, spotting most of it pooling at the base of the door. Her underwear was a whole 'nother matter apparently. They had somehow managed to land on the top corner of the shelving behind her. With a grunt she reached up, standing on the tip of her toes, swatting at the fleeting slip of material, not able to get a grasp on it. Without thinking she reached with both hands, the sheet sliding to the floor. Only the Kamis would find it appropriate for the door to swing open, an unprepared Ranma standing there, holding a tray of food.

"A….kane?"

Groaning but with one last quick swat, grabbed the offending underwear, turning around to reach for the other piece of offending cotton that had left her out to dry. She quickly wrapped it around herself. "Ha…see you caught me with my pants down…literally." Chuckling dryly, she lifted her head, not really wanting to meet his eyes, but doing so nonetheless. Shocked laced through her, as she expected a smug Ranma to greet her, yet she watched has his eyes darkened as they shamelessly devoured her. He was across the room before she could blink, the sheet clutched in his hand. Without word, he tugged at the shift hiding her from him, causing it to fall right back to the floor.

"I went to go get breakfast, but from the looks of things, that was unnecessary." His voice was gruff as he softly placed a kiss across her forehead, pausing only a second before ghosting a kiss across her cheek and then a soft kiss at the crux of her neck; inhaling her scent. "The food is way over there…and I _am_ hungry, Akane." Delicious shivers had her eyes fluttering close as his hand skimmed across her back, pulling her into his embrace. To her horror, her eyes misted.

_This isn't what I expected. I expected….the look in his eyes to be different. What is it, in those beautiful eyes of his that I'm seeing? What….what am I doing? You said for one night…why are you still holding your…_

He brought her out of her musing by lightly nipping on her collarbone. "Can I ask you a something?"

"An..Anything."

Ranma paused for a second, reaching for the gathered sheets pooled at her feet, pulling them up and around her again. He ignored the ways her brows furrowed, instead opting to scoop her up into his arms. Taking a seat on the bed, he promptly fixed her in his lap, his head resting against her temple. For a moment, they said nothing, did nothing, and just were.

"Do you…regret last night? I know we were both a little inebriated." As she stiffened slightly in his arms, he quickly added "…but that didn't influence my decision. I WANTED that…wanted you…. so very badly." He ran his fingers through her cropped hair. "I just needed to know…"

She flushed prettily, cursing herself for acting like a lovesick teenager around him. _Get a grip dumbass, it was just sex…no matter if he sounds like he's reading the inside flap of a Harlequin novel. It was just what it was. You DIDN'T regret it. Tell him._

"No, I didn't. We both needed that. I…No, I don't regret being with you last night Ranma."

Another flush of heat hit her cheeks, as he exhaled loudly, now recognizing that the movement of his chest had stalled as he waited for her answer. "I'm glad to hear you say that. " He placed a few soft kisses to her temple, sighing her name, enjoying the silence that they shared. That is until Akane's stomach protested loudly. "Well, seems it seems _something_ is rather angry that I'm hogging up all of your time, eh?" Reaching behind him, he took the pillows thrown precariously over his bed, pilling them into the corner. He twisted and placed Akane into the center of the pillows. Grabbing the tray he hurried back to the bed, urging her to scoot forward so that he may slide behind her. Leaning into his strong embrace, she allowed him to feed her the pieces of fruit he had managed to steal from the kitchen, along with a bowl of rice pudding and a couple glasses of juice.

They sat quietly again, not minding the silence at all. For the last couple of days it was nothing but hectic, nothing but bizarre, strange and…loud. Who could think, wrap their heads around the very ideas they were dealing with. Figure out if the precipice where the stood was worth the jump or if they should take as many backwards steps away from it as possible.

_I want to jump._

That morning when Ranma had blinked his sleepy eyes open, it took him only a second to recognize the shock of bluish black cropped hair that had taken residence on his chest. He inhaled deeply, her scent of jasmine clinging to the air, his nose, and his senses. How had he managed this? Just a few days ago, he would stare at this woman, his sense and sensibility, her cute bun and her fashionable heels, from a distance. He didn't want to sound cliché, but despite her obvious crush, he knew (from what facts, we'll never know) that there was something about her that wouldn't fit into his life. Either this false entity he was parading around all of Tokyo as, and most definitely not his real life. Even with her being a normal citizen, he always deemed her above the nobles, the pettiness and superior complexes (save a few). She always seems smarter, classier, far more beautiful than any of the courtiers he had the displeasure of being around.

The thing about the courtiers in Chiyoda, they tried too hard, without any heart. Not that he was above the idea of a marriage without love, he was about to enter one. But he had no choice in the matter, or yet he relinquished his right to choose at 16. After the fiasco of having to date one courtier after another, all with goals of being a Princess, not necessarily a ruler at his side, he washed his hands clean of it. Especially after being told he'd actually had chosen his bride at a very young age (four to be exact), yet circumstances has dissolved the contract, he gave up with his heart. He hoped, foolishly, that he'd meet one decent woman out of the bunch, one that would at least meet his expectations. None.

So as he softly spelled his name in the palm of her hand over and over, he ignored the lurching in his heart as he realized his very current soft, curvy and sweet predicament. Amazingly, he allowed himself to be cornered. Facing Akane after one secret had been revealed was an ominous event. If he thought about it hard enough, the pain of it all seemed real. But THIS secret, this precarious and dangerous secret, he was sure he'd lose her. He shook his head at the thought. When she reached for his hand, softly flipping the palm up to trace her name at his, his resolved harden rather quickly.

No.

I won't. I won't lose her. Screw tradition, screw the laws, screw everything! He was PRINCE of the Taichousen clan. There was...had to be SOMEWAY to circumvent this. People would be disappointed; he was sure, but not as much as he would if Akane couldn't be his. He shared his bed with her, shared his heart with her, and he wanted to share his life. Damn what anybody has to say about it. If he had to, he'd renounce everything. He had a cousin, Ulquiorra, who could easily step up and take the head…that's if he wanted to. It has to be noted that Ulquiorra would actually serve a greater purpose at his side, than as head (his attitude was a bit standoffish, but he was a brilliant and talented man nonetheless). He would fight, fight to keep her. Now, the tricky part. He'd still have to TELL her. What time is better than the present? He mentally snorted. Yeah. Right.

"Akane…."

She tilted her head back, a questioning yet soft look to her eyes.

"I'm going to apologize again, for misleading you. I know, you said it was okay, but I…I need you to understand that I am actually very sorry. I don't like lying to you. I didn't want to…it was just that…" When a finger was pressed against his lips, interrupting him, he looked down. She was smiling. "Right, when I said it was okay, I meant just that. It was out of your control, technically. I'm the odd piece of the puzzle here, and you hadn't figured a way to work me in." He reached her hand, grazing a kiss at the center of her palm. _Work her in_? He wanted to erase the pallet and start over. Just with her. Only with her.

"Well…truth be told, I need to…REALLY need to tell you that I…"

They both jumped badly when Yoruichi, without a knock or a shout, barged into Ranma's room. Blinking wildly at her, they both ignored the position they were found in, if only for a moment, wondering what could be important enough. Yoruichi, herself blinked in surprise. She'd seen them leave the roof, from her position on watch. She'd guess they'd gone back inside, but she was none the wiser to think she'd find her in his room the next morning; although if she REALLY thought about it, she couldn't be all that surprised. Wiping the astonishment off her face, for Yoruichi was never to be caught unknowing of anything, she smirked.

"You two have approximately 60 odd minutes to get yourself together. The Royal Transport arrives shortly."

"SIXTY Minutes! I thought my father said…."Ranma questioned.

"Its Genma Soatome we are talking about." Yoruichi supplied. "Akane, come with me, we need to get you prepared. I know I have some fitting clothes SOMEWHERE in this hell hole." She crossed the room hurriedly, cuffing Akane's wrist and dragging her out of the bed before either could protest. Akane had the good sense to grab the sheet and secure it around her before flying towards the door. Yoruichi smirked. _Well, well, well. I wonder what kind of clusterfuckbomb those two just lit? Just when I thought life here wasn't interesting! _She glanced down at Akane, noticing the red blush across her face and chest. _She __**IS**__ quite a lovely girl. We'll just wait for her fate…and her past to make its appearance. Things are getting more complicated by the minute. Oh, ho! I love it! _

Rounding into her own flat, she pulled Akane in, whipped around and stared at the poor girl, an expectant grin on her face, her brow raised questioningly. She watched the blue haired woman fidget around, but her shoulders were set, her posture sure and confident, despite the still evident blush across her cheeks. Yoruichi held her gaze for a second more, before smiling and moving towards the chest at the foot of her bed. After a minute contemplation she pulled out a furisode of peach and cream. Akane noticed that it was similar to the one that Kodachi had "forced" her in, but simpler in its taste. She liked it instantly, as she reached out hesitantly to touch the hem of the garment.

"It was my best friend's. Soi Fon. She's married now, decided it was best that I had it. It's an inside joke, since I am past the age of marrying." She giggled girlishly into the back of her hand, a move that caused Akane's brow to slip up a notch. "Anyways, she figured I'd find someone who'd appreciate more than I would, and I guess she was right. " Tossing it at Akane, she smiled again. "It's yours. Hurry up and get dressed. Father Saotome has decided to speed up the process in a rather rude fashion."

Akane looked hesitant. This was Ranma's father. What would he think of her, compared to the fancy, no doubted beautiful and refined courtiers that typically dated Ranma? Compared to Kodachi's finesse and poise, (for she was actually the only royal that she'd encountered), she was nothing but a simple woman. Then she wondered why she cared so much. This was the end, by this time tomorrow; she should be sitting in her living room, readjusting back to normal life. Surly after the Royal Clans got involved, they'd have no real use for her. The Prince would be safe. They'd hand her a guard possibly, due to her still mysterious connections and that….WHATEVER she displayed the other night. But still. The single point in space where water and air met would vanish. She'd fly….

Her thoughts were snapped back, when Yoruichi was now hustling her towards the shower room. "Ukyo is in there now, probably wondering what happened to her friend late last night." Akane's eyes went wide. She'd completely forgotten. For a moment, she contemplated keeping it all to herself. Something to discuss after this immanent nerve-wracking meeting with the head of the Saotome's family. She quietly creeped into the shower room, picking a stall opposite of the one Ukyo was using. She silently washed, pushing back the thoughts that swirled around her pretty blue head, which were fighting the other thoughts as to WHY these thoughts were swirling around her head. Then she had to battle being reminded of whose hands were all over her body just hours ago as she ran the rag across her stomach. Frustrated she quickly rinsed and toweled herself dry, yanking at her shower curtain.

If it hadn't of been for the hand she had wrapped around the side rail of the shower, abruptly seeing Ukyo on the other side of the curtain would have certainly called for disaster. She surprised she didn't scream her left lung to collapse. "What the hell Ucchan!"

"Soooooooo." The evil chuckle that followed that simple statement had Akane rolling her eyes. "Really Ukyo? Really?" Ukyo took the opportunity to step into the stall, blocking Akane's escape. "Answer my question." Ukyo sang brightly.

"You didn't ask one." Akane supplied flatly.

"Oh, Honey, yes I did. If I REALLY have to verbalize that question, we aren't very good friends, now are we?"

Akane blinked and then tiredly ran her hand across her face. She'd have more luck trying to have a civilized conversation about j-pop with Kodachi then avoid the inquisition about last night activities. She sighed. "Ranma and I…. spent the night together."

The resulting scream that erupted for Ukyo's lips startled the heavens out of Akane, and with her hand NOT placed on the side rail this time, she slipped. She landed with a heavy "umph" on the tiled floor. She looked up, wearily at the woman, rubbing her hip that unceremoniously made the most contact. Ukyo hurriedly helped Akane to her feet.

"Well, gal. You've got more balls then I took you for! Are you going to give me details the easy way or am I going to have to unhinge your jaw for information?"

"Get your Jaws of Life ready, I'm not spilling. At least not today. I have….I need to sort it all out before I go writing up a full report on it." Akane quipped. She turned towards the exit, still rubbing at her sore bottom. "All I know is that…my insides haven't smiled this hard in a long time. And that scares me."

With a casual shrug, Ukyo supplied "Love is a scary thing."

"Whoa there, Madam Hairbow. Nobody said anything about love." The other woman snorted and walked past her to the door. "I didn't say you SAID anything about love. There's a full love letter written all over your face…and probably in other places …but you can tell me about that later. And I _do_ mean to make good on that promise of cracking your jaw wide open for details." Akane rolled her eyes. That woman was insufferable, yet endearing.

They quickly dressed, each one helping them don the more formal wear for an audience with the Taichousen clan's Father. As they finished they waited patiently for word that the transport had arrive. On the other side of the hall, Ranma and Ryoga prepared themselves as well.

Neither was actually speaking. Silence encompassed the room as the two men dressed. Ryoga kept his tongue, because he didn't know what to say to the young man. He knew that most of Ranma's carefully protected world had already crumbled around him, and the other shoe was fastly approaching the ground. He hadn't much words just one question he had asked when he walked in.

"You told her?"

The look that greeted that question told him all he needed to know. She might kill him. No, scratch that. She was going to kill him. Rip his arms from their sockets and then beat him to a twitching pile of royal pulp. But he couldn't and wouldn't dig into him like he wanted. He was staring at a man experiencing something completely new. He was clueless, lost and unknowledgeable. Love wasn't something he was taught, it was something he was expected to learn, from someone he barely even knew. Hopefully. But he could tell in Ranma's eyes that the possibility of that was even beyond him. Marriage, heir, and hopefully comparable silence until he died. The reality of the life Ranma was forced to live suddenly weighed heavy on Ryoga's shoulders. He was precariously glad he was just a guard, just a normal man.

And it pained him to see him in turmoil. If you couldn't tell from the slump in his shoulders, you could tell from the shaking in his hands.

"Go and tell her now."

The pigtailed hair man's head shot up. He set his shoulders and nodded. Deftly tying the last knot to his obi, he braced his shoulders and headed for the door. Gathering his courage, he knocked on Akane's door. Again, in less than a day's time he was awed by the beauty she possessed. The peach of the fabric warmed her skin and made her appeared adorable. She shyly smiled at his appraising gaze, reaching out to run a finger across the stitching of his royal clan's seal on his chest. Catching her hand, he pulled her further into the hallway, away from the prying ears of Uyko and Ryoga.

He looked down at her. Trying to remember how she looked just at this moment. Right when she was content with him being alive and welcomed into her embrace. He memorized the smile in her eyes and the shy tilt of her grin. The way his pulse leapt when he slipped his larger hand into her waiting daintier one. The smell of excitement and unfamiliarity. He closed his eyes and sighed.

"I need….I WANT to tell you something before my father arrives. And I need you to know beforehand, that I'm going to do everything in my power to make it right. I promise."

Akane stilled, blinking slowly. "Okay…." She hesitantly fingered the black tourmaline stone around her neck.

"I live a life that is not my own. With the future of a clan, that I didn't asked to be born into, but nonetheless _was_ born into, resting on my shoulders…resting on the decisions I make….the decisions I make with others and for others, I am not at liberty to do the things that I wish to do. Want to do. Yearn to do. There are checks and balances, people watching my every move, people hoping for the best and those who would love nothing more than to see everything around me crumble. Therefore, before I was truly able to make sound decisions, they were made for me. And I eagerly…that's bad wording… I was quick to agree, because that would make everyone around me happy. That is my job, my people's happiness…even at the expense of my own."

The crease in Akane's brow stalled her for a moment before she asked, "Well…okay but…"

"I was okay with those decisions. They were for the betterment of everyone around me. I accepted. But I don't want to be that forgiving anymore. I don't want to be forced into a life where there isn't this freedom, this liberty. That's why I was pretending to be someone I wasn't, because for just a little while, I was FREE, Akane. Free to make choices, free to meet people, free to fall…" Ranma stopped. Something tingled at the back of his neck, but he didn't sense danger so he continued. "What I'm saying is…I haven't told you everything about me." When the crease in her brow deepened, he pulled her closer. "I'm apologizing, Akane. In advance…"

"Apologizing for what, airen?" The very breath in Ranma's throat grew heavy and thick, to the point that it surrounded his throat, halting any breath to speak. He eyes shot wide and strained and he quickly prayed to every deity, god, kami he could think of at this very moment. The universe didn't hate him that much. The timing in life couldn't have been this terrible. Yet as he quickly dropped Akane's hand in surprised and slowly spun, he found the answer to his question. Yes, the universe did hate him _that_ much. The timing in life could be _that _bad.

Standing behind him and Akane, was a courtier. THE courtier. His intended. Shampoo.

Nabiki was no fool. She was a queen. A viper. She could do what she wanted. Which is exactly why she was pissed when Kuno had found her all black jumpsuit and black masking paint and thrown them away. _Hmph. I don't need those anyways. I could scale this building with my bare hands. Unseen. I am THE Night. He has himself fooled. _

They were currently sitting outside of what seemingly appeared to be an abandoned building. Kuno knew better, which was surprising. On the other hand, what wasn't the bright idea of the century was when he had thought it a good idea to let Nabiki tag along. He apparently had forgotten that he was in love with a psychopath. As soon as they pulled up to the building she reached into her bag and pulled out black paint. Rolling his eyes, he grabbed at it, thinking he had discarded all of her 007 bullshit back at the hotel. Tossing it out the window, he pinned her with a pointed look, managing to lock the doors in time before she pulled some kind of cart wheeling stunt into the building. She watched entirely too many movies.

"Look here. I don't need your espionage, and I don't need whatever else you have hidden on your body for this. This informant is reliable…well as reliable as informants can be. You're special brand of…whatever the hell you think you're doing right now, and whoever the hell you think you ARE right now, is not needed Nabiki."

She rolled her eyes again. They had been sitting in this lot for hours now. What he deemed as waiting for the informant to arrive to her seemed like a giant waste of time. Arakawa was the site that Kuno had mentioned being the first target of Douchler's meddling. It directly led them to this Shigeko crime syndicate. Three former employees of Douchler were now were 'employed' by Shigeko's leader, Amaya Emi. The clan took those employees in under their protection after voluntary withdrawals from the company, for the protection of information. The connection to the company and the syndicate was rather shaky but still viable.

Nabiki sighed and shifted in the seat. She was getting antsy. Her head fell back against the headrest as she thought of how to cover up her added absence to Kasumi and her father. Bah, the less they know the better. Especially that Soun. "Okay, so how much longer?" At that moment, Kuno's cell went off in his pocket.

"Kuno."

The voice on the other end was hushed and Nabiki strained to hear. Before she could hear a word, the end button was clicked and the phone back in his pocket. "He's coming out. He said to meet him in the back."

"The BACK? Is that safe?" She watched his eyebrow inch higher and hurriedly finished "you know…no need of putting ourselves in harm's way. Takes the advantage out of our hands….or something"

"What advantage? You'll see once we get back there, trust me." He finally unlocked the doors, then waiting until she was out and walked in front of her. Suddenly she jumped and grabbed a handful of the back of his jacket. He turned around to see the sliding door of a dumpster shutting against the wind. "Are you serious, right now? Who are you?"

She glared at him. "Bite me Tatewaki. Just…just hurry up, damn."

They reached the back of the building to see the profile of a man sitting on the back steps, smoking a cigarette. Approaching him slowly, Kuno called out "Kouhei?" He slowly nodded his affirmation. The two kept their distance from him, causing him to roll his eyes. "This isn't some mafia flick, calm down. " He rose from his seat and slowly made his way over to where they were standing. As he stepped into the light, Nabiki gasped. The left side of his face was horribly marred and his arm disfigured, hanging limply at his side. Unable to resist she gasped "What in Kami's name happened to you?"

Kuno sighed and started an apology when Kouhei waved it away with his good hand. "I'm used to it." Turning to Nabiki, he gestured to his other arm. "I was one of the victims of the Arakawa incident that I'm sure Kuno here has informed you about. The reaction to the stone…or whatever they had, caused this. Not sure what "this" is, but they explained after I finally awoke from the coma, something about spirit particles. All mumbo jumbo if you ask me. All I know is, I look like this." He shrugged. Glancing back to Kuno, he smirked. "I only have one piece of information for you. Other than the obvious connection the company Douchler has to the Shigeko, it also has a link to two other syndicates; The Masaru and the Shou. The Shou you have nothing to worry about, they're more administrative than anything. The Masaru, on the other hand houses one half of the powers that are in charge of the whole operation."

"By this operation, you mean Yangupawa" Nabiki supplied.

"Correct. Of those three people, only one name is known. Mousse." Kouhei reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out a photo. "Goofy looking kid, but very smart and very determined. Good luck finding him though. Every since this incident, they have all but disappeared, using others to complete the work for them."

Kuno nodded, slipping the photo into his back pocket. He then slipped the older man a smaller card. "Call that number, Souhei. They know you and the others are coming. They said they can help." Souhei smiled. "It'd be nice to get some semblance of life back, wouldn't it?" He turned and walked away, signaling the end of the conversation. Kuno and Nabiki had turned to take their leave, when Souhei called out to them one last time.

"Black Tourmaline. That's the power source. A conductor of sorts is needed. That was the big fuss they said with the two incidents on Baku and Arakawa. Once they find the conductor to the stone, then…they've accomplished whatever it is that they are trying to do." And with that he walked back into the building.

As they drove away, Nabiki processed the information. "What information do you have on the Marasu crime syndicate?"

"Enough. But not enough. We need to get back to headquarters. Time to start digging."

"Now THAT'S what I'm talking about, Kuno baby!"

Genma had told that slip of a woman to stay in the car, but not surprisingly she dashed through the doors as soon as the car came to a stop. He wanted to curse her, but the presence of her grandmother, sitting patiently on the other side of the cabin, held his tongue. She was the creepiest old woman he'd ever met. Very small, very frail looking, but with one look you could tell she was very powerful and sage. That was the only thing that held his tongue. The fact that he knew somewhere deep down; she could zap him with that knarled up cane of hers. Shaking his head, he waited until the escort opened his door and stepped out.

He inhaled a lungful of air. Nakofunkata. What a dump; but one he loved nonetheless. As he stretched, he could hear Shampoo's insistent chatter as she double timed it into the building, ignoring the twin sentries that stood watch. He rolled his eyes. The council was full of mumbling nincompoop muttonheads. Well, in the areas of choosing Ranma's bride, anyways. After the first engagement fell through, and after Ranma's refusal to continue in anymore of what he called "dumbass courting sessions", the council stepped in. After searching, they'd found Masaru clan, a mostly female Amazon tribe on the mainland. Shampoo was considered their princess and next leader (after Cologne stepped down). She met all the requirements of a courtier and was finally chosen as Ranma's bridge after a year's deliberation.

What a terrible job they did. They thought because Shampoo's clan was wealthy and Shampoo was beautiful, on all accounts really, that it was a decent enough reason to tie Ranma to her for the rest of his life. But Ranma was bound by honor and duty, and accepted the engagement. _Bah, sniveling pinheads_. Genma appeared to treat his son harshly, but it was solely for the reason that once the title was passed to him, he would effectively be running the clan by himself, for his bride was as bright as a lump of coal. A shapely one, but a lump of coal none the less.

He looked around at the bustling city. Waiting a day was good for his spirit. He had calmed down leagues and felt comfortable enough to approach his son without wanting to yank his braid off. Ranma was young; he had been young once too. Foolishness is a trait of the young. He'd learn. He was glad that his son was safe and out of danger. Sighed he turned to enter the building, a hobbling Cologne behind him.

"You old fool…" Genma froze in his steps, his eyes stealing left and right for a miniature package of pure hell. _I forgot that damned man would be here. _It wasn't until his shin was thoroughly kicked did he noticed the smaller man standing in front of him. "You know," he said rubbing his injured limb. "I AM head of this clan, YOUR clan, you should show more respect."

"What a thought. I'm your _master_, you bow to me until your death, I care not for your station, you idiot." Genma fought to control the rush of heat to his face, breathing evenly. "And on top of that, you let your son almost kill himself. I should run you through for such incompetence. But …we haven't the time for that."

"How generous of you...master." Genma forced a smile before turning to introduce the similarly small woman. "Happosai, this is Cologne, grandmother to Shampoo, future consort to the Prince of the Taichousen clan." Happosai brightened at the mention of a woman, but recoiled at the sight of Cologne's impish wrinkly person. Cologne in turn snorted and turned her nose up at Happosai's large shiny head and ratty clothing. They both mumbled out a "Pleasure" before Cologne hobbled away to take a seat. "Where's Yoruichi?"

Happi thumbed towards the roof of the restaurant. "At least I think that's where she is. You never know with that pussycat. Sneaky and infuriating." Genma laughed. _Probably because she won't let him do what he's accustomed to doing; getting in the damn way. _

"Tendo's upstairs." This paused the Panda's laughing instantly. With a sobering sigh, he ran his hand tiredly across his face. "Don't remind me. The ramifications are…"

"Exhausting, believe me. But at some point, old friend…"

"DON'T….remind me. I know…" Happi let go of a humorless laugh. "Let's get you a drink; you look a bit…tired." Genma chuckled dryly as he followed his former master to the bar. "The quiet before the storm, eh?"

It wasn't that time had slowed down. No, because if it had, he'd think it would delay the inevitable just a few more seconds. Long enough for him to find some solution to this viper pit he'd just landed himself in. Where in the high hells had Shampoo come from? Why is she here? Why is SHE HERE?

He was sure at this point, his heart had stopped beating. Or maybe Akane had ripped it out of his chest for him already. He wanted to blink and looked down to see if it was still beating in her hands, but he was afraid that someone any movement on his part would interrupt the influx of time. He wanted to disappear. But more than that he wanted this to not be happening. He'd always watch movies, and laugh when this would happen to the rich handsome actor, who'd lied up to his eyeballs, a moment away from telling the truth to his beloved, only for her to forgive him and they ride off into some proverbial sunset when all hell would break loose. Maybe he should have paid more attention to how the actor got himself out of trouble. For at this moment, he was completely lost.

It wasn't until a dainty hand snaked its way under his arm and around his chest that he exhaled. He eyes snapped open as the woman purred warmly in his ear. "Nihao, arien." He stifled a groan. Who the hell approv….He shook his head. "Hello Shampoo. What are you doing here?" He said while delicately, but firmly removing her hands from around him. He didn't want to be mean, it wasn't her fault that he'd left for a week and had kinda sorta...actually fell in love with someone else.

"What you mean! I hear you in trouble! I here to help! That is my job! I love you!"

Every bit of food he ate just moments ago was literally fighting to leave his body via esophagus. He really wanted to laugh. _This is re-fucking-diculously terrible. _He took a solid step away from the fluffy hyper woman and braved a glance at Akane. Again, she continued to befuddle him. Instead of the fuming, ballistic, probably glowing again (he was REALLY afraid that she'd be glowing), and ready to whoop all of his ass into little dust mites Akane, he was greeted with a very calm and collected woman. She walked over with a grin on her face and held out her hand, surprising both him and Shampoo.

"Hello, you've got to excuse Ranma; he's a little bit of an idiot. I'm Akane, a rather new friend of Ranma, Ukyo and Ryoga." Shampoo blinked at the outstretched hand. She was still, even after all of these years, familiarizing herself with Japanese customs….now this girl was throwing in American ones. "You friends with Ukyo AND Ryoga? And Ranma?"

"Yes, but like I said fairly new friends…and you're…."

Shampoo inclined her head slightly towards this woman. She was no fool. She saw how close they had been before she showed up. She'd also had her reports….but nonetheless she wanted affirmation of Akane's place in Ranma's life and decided the best way to figure that out was to inform this woman of HER place. "Shampoo of the Masura Amazon tribe. His fiancée."

Ranma looked to the floor. Maybe if he was lucky it would just swallow him whole. Maybe leave a few strands of his ponytail for his loved ones.

"Oh heavenly father…." Ranma dragged his line of vision from the floor to the doorway of his room, where Ukyo and Ryoga stood, with a look of pure unadulterated horror on their faces. Shampoo instantly seethed, double timing towards the two, her fist balled. "You two let my airen be in danger! " Instantly Ukyo bit back, "Aye, wizen up you dolt, you're still single, you're not my leader! You don't have the right to…." Just as quickly, Ryoga stepped in between the two women. The shouts got louder and louder, to his dismay.

Ranma looked over his shoulder, his very slumped shoulders, at the three. He'd let Ryoga handle that argument for the time being. He had a battle on his hands, one that he was sure to lose. He turned back towards Akane, willing her to at least allow him to explain. Obviously he needed more than just the will. Her face had hardened into a mask, tight and unapologetic. He reached out to grab her hand, but she moved out of his reach swiftly.

"I can completely understand why you'd be upset with me right now, Akane."

She snorted loudly. "Who said I was upset? This look on my face is of enlightenment, not anger. While I commend you for deciding to finally tell me you were engaged, I would have appreciated the knowledge more before I played the part of silly little slut last night. MY GOD! Could you have at least given me a heads up! I know…" She shook her head. "…I know there wasn't a possibility of…but…but STILL, something Ranma! A head nod, a flare, smoke signals… a fucking pigeon with a note tied around its ankle that said "Taken! Back off!" SOMETHING. But no, you try to rush an explanation."

"Akane…"

"Don't Akane me, don't. Just don't." She ran a hand over her face and a muffled scream was released. Closing her eyes and shaking her head, she groaned at him. "Look, it's okay. Let's just pretend last night never happened. Let's pretend none of this ever happened. All I want to do is get this over with. I want to go home, sooner rather than later. So go get your primpy prompy girlfriend before Ukyo sinks her fangs into her so we can leave. "

She watched as he reluctantly tried to reach for her again, but sighed and turned away. She wanted to turn this building upside down and burn it. She wanted to slap that stupid apologetic look off of his stupid face. She wanted this to be over. She wanted to be in HER bed, with her novels and loneliness again. She wanted this to be some stupid nightmare that only happens on full moons and late night snacks. She wanted to have never met that imbecile of a man. There were a lot of things she wanted. But in the very end, she wanted him. And it turns out; you can't have everything that you want.

Crying would solve nothing, neither would anger towards this Shampoo woman. It wasn't her fault, that her future husband held more secrets than the KGB. But she could be angry at the way the woman looked at her, as if she were an ant. It was the same look Kodachi had afforded her and that pissed her off. She was up to her nose, surrounded on all sides by nobles and their kind and she was sick of it. She didn't ask for this. And she damn well didn't want to continue to be in their presence. Hell.

The limo ride back towards Tokyo, and more importantly to Chiyoda was strained. Very strained. Ukyo glared at Shampoo, Shampoo burned a hole into the side of Akane's head, which was staring out of the window. Ryoga smiled at Cologne, who did nothing but glare back at him. Genma and Happi avoided everyone's stares, especially Akane's. Yoruichi looked on silently.

When they finally reached Chiyoda, they were taken directly to the Taichousen ward, where their luggage (or lacktherof) was scanned for any potential threats to the city of Chiyoda and its noble residents. Those who didn't live there were shown to the guest wing of the encampment, while those who did sauntered off to their own private quarters.

Akane was guided to her room, by a young girl, with a lopsided ponytail and a penchant for shuffling her feet whenever they came to a stop. The young girl opened the door to what she guessed was her room and Akane gasped. She had seen the rooms, Yoruichi, Happi and the twins were afforded and hers was everything and more in comparison. Everything from the rich woods of the tatami mats to the delicate yet expensive smelling fragrances wafting from the incense. The shoji door opposite of them was slightly ajar, revealing a beautiful garden and water fountain, alive with koi fish and water lilies.

She turned to the girl, trying to wash the shock off her face. "Wh…whose room…why?"

"Prince Ranma's wish, my lady."

Well, she was mad at him, but what was new. But there was no way she was saying no to this room. Not after the hell holes she had been thrown in, ALL because of him. She deserved this and he owed her. "Well damn! Don't mind if I do!" The little girl smiled brighter and showed her the layout of the room.

"In that closet are a few items that should fit you. If not, call me…"

"Or US! And we'll be of help!" Rin didn't even turn around. "I knew those two biddies would do this. Nosey little…"

"Little! Mind your elders, Rin! For your information, you little she-devil, we just left Ukyo's room and she told us to introduce ourselves and we are! Hmph!" A woman, donned in miko robes came forward into the room to thump "Rin" on the arm. Rin laughed while rubbing her arm. "Akane, I'd like you to meet these two, you'll probably see a lot of them while you're in Chiyoda. "This…" pointing to the woman by the door in the simple, yet elegant kimono, "is my cousin, Sango." Sango waved happily from the doorframe.

Before Rin could draw another breath, the miko rushed forward and gave Akane a giant hug. "Oh my god! How are you, Akane! I'm Kagome! You probably don't remember, but…" Swiftly an Akomeogi fan flew across the room, hitting Kagome on her backside. She whipped around to stare at Sango, who had an unreadable but pointed look on her face. "Oh…yes. Right." Turning back to Akane, she stepped out of the embrace and bowed slightly. She gave an uneasy grin at the flustered and confused red of Akane's face.

"Sorry, I know that sounds crazy….but…okay. Let me start over." Kagome cleared her throat. "I am, Kagome, Princess of the Takahashi clan! That is Sango, my personal escort, bodyguard and very very dear friend. She was at my right when I was married, you know. But anyways that's not the point! We are here to welcome you to Chiyoda. Ukyo and Ryoga will probably have to report as soon as they get their bearings together. So that leaves us!" Akane looked around, as she hadn't gotten in a word edgewise." I...uh…pleasure to meet you, your highness."

"Highness! Gracious no! I hate that word. It always sounds like an ass. Like hiney… so when people call me that I always feel like they are calling me your Royal "Assness" Kagome giggled. "Call me Kagome…or Kags…or 'Gome…or K…well don't call me K….because then it just sounds like you're agreeing with me…"

"For the love of the Kamis!" Sango slid in between the two before Kagome threw herself into a ditzfit. She did that from time to time, and although hilarious, well scratch that….it was hilarious. "You'll have to excuse her; she doesn't get visitors that don't make us want to shoot ourselves with dull arrows to the hearts often. She's almost like an excited kid sometimes. She'll calm in a second." _Once the sake wears off…_.Sango glanced over at her shoulder to see Kagome stick her tongue out at Sango. Sango retaliated in kind.

It was Akane's turn to giggle. Sure Ranma was weird, but she never expected to see any other noble person act so….non royal. She was beginning to think she had fallen down a rabbit hole. "That's quite alright. After the last few days, nothing seems normal and normal seems weird at this point."

"Anyways, like motor-mouth said, we're here to give you a tour of Chiyoda. But first, lunch. We'll give you some time to change, and then we need to meet the others in the Suwa no Chashitsu."

"THE tea room? The others?"

"Yes, the others. They are all pretty excited to see you."

Akane blinked. "…Why…?"

Sango smiled "Well among other reasons, most of them just want to hear about your adventures. Ranma's probably going to bore us to death, while you will probably tell us the whole truth. So go ahead and get changed. I'm going to get Kagome sobe…I mean, freshened up and we'll be back around here, in say, fifteen minutes to collect you?"

Akane smiled again. "I'll be ready!"

The two women turned to leave, followed by Rin who had other duties to attend to. When Kagome and Sango were out of hearing distance, they turned towards one another. "She doesn't look the heartbroken mess that Ukyo described her to be."

Kagome put her hands on her hips. "That's a Tendo woman. It's going to take a bunch more than THAT to break her spirit. And twice as much for us to drag the little love story out of her, so we can get to fixing. Ukyo keeping a lid on it, so it's up to US, now." With a determined nod Kagome turned and walked away. Sango laughed and shook her head.

"This is going to be an awesomely frustrating weekend."

**A/N: Well, sorry that took so long. Don't taze me, bro! I don't even have a good excuse. But nayless. Let me explain one little thing. Like I said, no crossover. But I needed character placeholders and was like…WELL….why not my favorite characters! It's sorta like the ending of the Wizard of Oz "Oh you were there! And you were there too! Oh Toto!" sorta thing. The more the merrier! **


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Oh dear God! She updated! Ha! Only because I'm running the risk of confusing MYSELF, do these chapters take so long. I actually have to research my own writing. It's actually very very sad when you think about it. I'm starting to think I get up in the middle of the night, type out confusing plot themes, wake up and try to expound on it. Keh. **

**Oh, and as always I love you all bunches! You make my face parts SMILE! Continue to review if that suits your fancy. It sure does suit MY fancy! A couple of you deserve a nice little shoutout on the next chapter for your continued support! Tee! Ja'ne! Oh. And I know it's weird, but I love Ulquiorra with like all my heart, so he HAD to be here. Just had to be. This is like an alternate universe crossover without so much crossing. **

**A Delicate Covenant **

"Why then tonight let us assay our plot."

-Helena (_All's Well That Ends Well)_

He had tried to prevent it. Last time it worked. This time…not so much. Still, he tried his hardest to keep his face as controlled as possible, despite the tickling racing up and down his sides. Which was hard. Epically hard.

Kuno had spent the better half of his afternoon, waist high in the backlog room of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department researching the famed yet mysterious Marasu crime syndicate. Most of the information they had on the yakuzas was basic. Gambling debts, which led to disappearances, local bullying and turf wars. Things that if you looked up any rap sheet on any Japanese mafia, you'd find. Which left him with nothing. Not until he ran across a file concerning a Sauske Sarugakure.

Sauske Sarugakure was detained two days ago, after witnesses fingered him in a high speed chase through the Tokyo metropolitan prefecture. He was instantly bailed, which was no surprise. The thing that caught Kuno's attention was WHO bailed him out. Akahana Tshiro. The moment he read the name, memories flooded his brain. Right away the sight of a pale fragile porcelain doll blazed his vision. Actually the sight of two young women came to mind, because one without the other was near impossible. Twins, who had been inseparable since birth. Twins that had served HIS house since they were no more than toddlers. Akahana Tshiro and Sachi Tshiro were his sister's royal attendants, although they usually went by the names of Ling-Ling and Lung-Lung.

The shock that overwhelmed him was staggering. What were his sister's ladies in waiting doing bailing a man belonging to a crime syndicate out of a jail? That made absolutely no sense to him and he didn't have enough information on Sauske to try to fit the pieces together. So instead, he began to dig deeper…with help. Konatsu was a wiz with the computer and was able to delve into the computer super highway like a man possessed. His talents were renowned, for he is able to hack any computer known to man. Brilliant man; if we could get him to stop dressing like a woman at work, he could possibly get a date or two, but that's beside the point.

"Now," he stated as he furiously pounded the keyboards at his fingertips, "The van that Sauske wrecked was a rental. We know that. But he doesn't look like a man who could tie his own shoestrings without tipping over, let alone get online to rent a van. Especially at these prices! The van that was rented usually goes for like…50 bucks a day. It was rented at an astoundin…."

"Konatsu….who RENTED the damn van?" Kuno interrupted. Next the fool would start harping about the type of navigation system that was installed. Once you got him started on any type of technological …or financial (he was a frugal little spinster), the Emperor himself couldn't stop the onslaught of ranting. He shook his head as the younger man pushed his glasses further up his nose.

"Ah, that. Right." He tapped twice on the keyboard and shifted to grab a piece of paper from the printer. "..a Sachi Tshiro is listed as the one who signed the rental agreement. Problem is with that, her age is listed as twenty. The age required by this company to rent, is twenty-five."

Kuno shrugged. "Okay, so she got her hands on a fake I.D. It's happened before." He lifted one eyebrow, his indirect way of directly wanting Konatsu to get to the point.

"Again, correct. But... " He handed the piece of paper to the detective. ", take a look AT the I.D. itself. Notice in the QR Code? Right. Doesn't look normal does it?" Kuno squinted. He was right. The QR code on Sachi's I.D. had an extra square at the bottom, faint but you could see it. "Now I looked that up in GlobalVex, the database that searches for gang affiliated symbols, codeword…"

"I KNOW what GlobalVex is, Konatsu. What did you find? What does that mean?" Konatsu rolled his eyes. "It is directly affiliated with the Marasu crime syndicate. These I.D's are supposedly produced there but only for their members. They don't make a profit. They are solely to "assist" in "getting things done" since they are notorious for "adopting" members that are still young.

The detective rolled his eyes at the number of types Konatsu did his air-quote-thing. "Not finished. The credit card used for the transaction was listed under the name "Black Rose." Although, you'd think they do some kind of background check or something. Black Rose CAN'T be her legal name…"

Kuno slowly closed his eyed to stop the pounding of his temples. Black Rose. His sister's name in high school when she was head of that ridiculous martial arts gymnastic team. So his sister WAS involved. For the love of shit sandwiches on rye. What the hell could she POSSIBLY be doing associated with a motherloving crime syndicate? He knew she was insane. But completely absolved of sanity, no. If his mother was here…He shook his head to ignore that fiery ball of rage that was his mother and focused on what Konatsu was STILL saying.

"…..but again, I heard over in the Americas they are letting KIDS have credit cards and cell phones and all kinds of things. When I was a …"

He put the entire span of his hand over the squabbling man's face. "Konatsu! Shut. Up." Sighing, he stood up. "Do we have ANY idea where Sauske is now that he has been released on bail?"

Konatsu grinned. "Where else would the Marasu take a bumbling fool who screwed up his whole operation?" Kuno waited a beat, staring at Konatsu who was smug as if the answer was obvious. The hacker rolled his eyes. "Although she has no direct affiliation with a Marasu crime syndicate, the owner of the Cat Café, Cologne of the Chinese Amazon tribe, houses them as bodyguards there. If he's anywhere, he's there. "

Which brought him back at the subject at hand. Madam Butterfly standing in front of him with her hands on her lovely swathed in black hips, glaring at him. _I think she WANTS me to laugh, just so she can kill me. Stay cool Kuno, stay cool …Nope…losing it…._

The final straw was when she pulled out, what appeared to be a utility belt of some kind and wrapped it around herself. When the mechanism to lock it around her hips clinked, he lost it, and doubled over with laughter.

"What's so damn funny, idiot?" Nabiki's glare went from icy to fiery in seconds. She watched while he obviously couldn't contain his mirth at her expense, as he wiped at tears streaming down his ridiculously stupid face. "I said what is so DAMN funny?"

"Woman…what the hell! What do you have on?"

Nabiki glanced at her outfit. Everything checked out according to her manual. Black pants for ease of movement. Check. Black turtle neck for maximum concealment. Check. Black ski mask ultra maximum concealment check. Utility belt with trap wire, utility knife, and lighter fluid. Check. Although she wasn't 100 percent what the lighter fluid was for, she was completely prepared to sneak in the Cat Café tonight. She didn't understand his confusion.

"You look like Cat Woman. Did you get this from Burglary 101? Did you take some kind of online class while I was at work? Kinda looks like you failed the course." He stopped while he was ahead when he noticed the tick form on her cheek. He threw his hands up in surrender_._ "Okay, okay. Leave the mask, and the utility belt. It's a café for Kami's sake, not the Imperial House."

"Screw that. I am NOT leaving my utility belt. "

Kuno rolled his eyes. "What in the hell are you going to do with a …you know what. Fine. Wear it. But listen here, Empress Breaking and Entering. This is a simple operation. We just want to know what Sauske knows. It's a stakeout, not Fighting Tiger Hidden Ninja Stars in my Utility Belt hour." It was her turn to roll her eyes. Reaching in his car, he pulled out a piece of paper. "This piece of magical paper was acquired by the good folks of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. It is a layout of the Cat Café. I wanted to ask WHY they would have this so handy, but, beggars can't be choosers."

He pointed to a far room to the left of the building. "Apparently, this room is off limits to patrons, aside from the kitchen and back office. And the reason to WHY it is off limit is…." Flipping the paper over it showed a completely different layout thanbefore. "Magic. It's been pegged as an unofficial hideout for the Marasu. The owner of the café, Cologne…"

"Hey! I know her. She also sells like trinkets and magical potions and creepy…" Nabiki interjected excitedly

"….uses the Marasu as personal bodyguard. " Kuno finished with a raised eyebrow. "The only way to get THROUGH that door is to walk through it. We can't do that."

Nabiki blinked. _Duh_.

"So we follow this air duct that bypasses that door and leads to the separate rooms. We just have to find which one Sauske is staying in and...wax on, wax off….instant information. "

Now it was her turn to roll her eyes. "That easy huh, Magellan?"

Tatewaki smirked. "Myiagi, sweetheart. Myiagi."

The original plan of acting as patrons to the Cat Café and moseying around until they found the correct door that would lead them to the air duct was thrown out of the window by Nabiki's eccentric and sudden interest in imitating an ANBU ninja; so on the ride over, Kuno quickly ran through his options of getting into the maintenance room unnoticed.

Turning to her, "Stay in the car for a second, babe. I'm going to take a look around while the café is still pretty packed. I'll blend in better than you. I'll come out in roughly 5 minutes and give you a stay sign or a come sign."

"Come, eh? Later…only if you're a good bo-"

"AND …we'll move on from there." With more seriousness than she'd ever seen him muster, he used two fingers to point at his eyes, then point at hers, and walked away. _The hell kinda…yep, he's lost it. _Nabiki shook her head. She scanned the outside of the Café. It was bookended by two other smaller storefronts and matching alleyways. Quaint and cozy, a place she'd NEVER find herself in. Poetry and all that hippie pippey stuff was for the birds. Give her a martini and a business ledger to divide and conquer and she was in heaven. It was then she noticed something to the left of the café. She looked around. _I'll be back before he even notices I've left…_

Kuno grunted. In a play to seem as "in the crowd" as possible, he found himself annoyed as everyone in the café stood stock still as some bopper in all black, pulling on a cigarette for all she was worth, was wailing on about some tea that was too hot and burned her tongue. He had made it all the way to the back near the kitchens when she started and had been stuck there ever since. Looking down at his watch, he grunted again. _It's been past five minutes, she may start to get worried and do something stupid. Matter of fact, I KNOW she'll do something stupid. But I can't move until the vocal agony that is Kazumi stops. _ And like a miracle, she wrapped it up with a bow.

Shaking his head as the crowd began to move about the café again, he eased his way back to a door, which HAD to be the correct one. Marking it visually, he turned to leave when he noticed Kazumi making her way BACK to the stage. He squeaked in panic, his eyes wildly watching her take the mic. Just as she uttered her first word, the door to the maintenence room flew open; a hand covering his mouth and pulling him into the room.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

The tea house itself presented itself as a conundrum. There was something to be said about formalities, about decorum, about propriety when dealing with those of royal birth. There are many things that they were required to learn and memorize as to seem the rightful owners of their station.

Well, this was obviously not the place for that. Not to say that it was a mad house, but the inside of the tea house looked more a kin to a lunchroom at a place of business than anything one would imagine a formal dining hall would resemble.

Kagome giggled. "A bit out of order, hn?" She quietly accessed the room with a grin before turning to Akane. "This is our little world outside of our world. We are granted the same freedom as those of common blood are. Stifling really when you think about it. So," she said pointing to the expanse of the tea house, "every afternoon, courtiers, guards, mikos…even some of the serving staff, meet here to just...BE. Mostly it's the Taichousen and the Takahasi Clans. The Kuno clan frowns on our little "gatherings" and the Yatsura clan is filled with OLD people. All of them just OLD. Back in the day, Kuno Tatewaki would join but he's…"

"WHO!" Akane's head snapped forward. She had really been engulfed in the scene before her. There were three rows of low tables that filled the interior of the tea house. To the far right was a raised dais when had another low table situated in the center. The walls were a deep Maplewood, and with the bamboo shades covering the high afternoon sun, it gave an intimate and cozy atmosphere to the teahouse. The tables were already being filled with plates from some of the servant staff who were in charge of the food preparation and small saucers of sake were being consumed.

Grabbing Akane lightly by the wrist, while she handed her fan behind her to Sango, Kagome struggled with slight to keep her face straight. _Right…she doesn't know about Kuno. _"You know of our dastardly handsome kendo champion?" Akane blinked several times before frowning. "Yeah you could say that. Or at least I THOUGHT I did."

The miko sighed. "We haven't seen our dear Tatewaki in years, I do miss him. His sister is a basket case…."

It all suddenly connected for Akane. Although she hesitated too, her mind shot back to those unfortunate hours in Kodachi's "care". Remembering her words, remembering the piece of parchment, it all made imperfect sense to her. "Kuno. She said Kuno. Kuno Tatewaki. Jesus, Akane!" She smacked herself on the head. Kagome raised one delicate eyebrow at the sudden Christian reference, smiled. "Anyways, let's go up on the dais. I'm STARVED!"

Akane shuffled her feet. "Hey Kagome, you weren't serious about that whole "storytelling" thing were you? I'm not in the best of moods to have to relive the last couple of days."

Sango nudged her slightly with a warm smile on her face. "We wouldn't make you do anything you wouldn't want, Akane dear. Just eat and relax. You deserve it." Akane smiled back warmly at the woman, before following behind Kagome up the dais. As they rounded the corner, Akane noticed that during their walk a few people had taken their seats. Two pensive looking fellows, one staring at the food like a puppy while the other regarded him with a raised eyebrow and a stoic face. What was more remarkable about them was the white, almost silver looking hair streaming down their backs. To the obviously younger ones left was one who appear to be of the cloth, his bulky Buddhist robes flowing around him. Exactly opposite was one man who caught Akane by complete surprise. She'd seen pale men in her life, but this man was almost white, with the sharpest, clearest set of teal green eyes.

Kagome indicated that Akane sit at the far end of the table. "We girls like to keep away from the menfolk. They sit down there and discuss manly…but mostly stupid things, aside from Sesshomaru. I think he just likes being there for the hell of it. "

"Sesshoumaru?"

Sango coughed. "Oh! Excuse us! How rude! We didn't introduce that gangly bunch of hooligans did we?" Pointing to the eldest of the group, "Sesshoumaru Takahashi. Prince regent of the Takahashi clan. His wife Kagura is SOMEWHERE around here, but knowing that girl, she'll be too busy meddling in someone's love affairs to make an appearance. The one to his left is our pretty little Kagome's husband and younger brother to Sesshoumaru; Inuyasha, the Takahashi clan's heir to the throne." Sango smirked, "pending any little puppies that happen to appear in the next couple of years."

Akane blinked again. "Puppies…"

Kagome nodded. "Long story…filled with youkai…and hanyous…and…" she waved her hand. "Puppies." She stated, shrugging helplessly.

Sango laughed but continued on. "That handsome guy with the billowing robes is my fiancé, Miroku. Kagome and he are both assistants to the spiritual leader for the Imperial Family." Pointing to the pale, facially emotionless guy across from Miroku, Sango's smiled brightened. "And this ray of sunshine is First Sword to the Saotome Prince, Ulquiorra. He's a cousin or something, but a brilliant swordsman. BRILLIANT. He just never…moves his face. We like that though, for we've been trying for years to get him to smile. Never works but it's quite endearing."

Right on cue, as if the world was laughing at her, three other figures rounded the same corner up the dais to join them. Akane could feel his presence the moment he was behind her. She didn't have to turn around to know that the bain of her existence was probably standing behind her with some stupid ignoramus look on his face. She knew it wasn't the last she'd seen of him, hell; she was sure she'd see him seeing as she was practically being held hostage until she'd been "debriefed". That didn't change the fact that she DIDN'T want to see him. EVER.

Sango and Kagome caught each other eye from the side for a second before Kagome nodded. Sango turned around suddenly and squeaked. "Uchaan! Wow, it's been months, lady! Come here! Sit down!" Ukyo looked pensively between Ranma's ridiculously long fact glued to Akane's back, and Ryoga's who was strategically looking in any direction but hers. _Damn idiots. _She understood what Sango was trying to do and played along. She quickly broke from the two dolts to her left and right and took up a seat in between Sango and Akane. She hugged the miko and the slayer around the neck before turning to Akane. By all rights, Akane had every right to be mad at all of them for Ranma's continuous string of lies. In her defense she had told that addled brain man to confess, but still didn't excuse the fact that she'd known all along and did nothing but push Akane into a taken man's arms.

It's just that she…she loved Akane. In these few short days she'd managed to find a sister and a friend. Not that Kags and Sango weren't that, it's just that she herself was just…a commoner, if you think about it. Neither she nor Ryoga contained any royal blood, despite their station at Ranma's left and his right. Kagome and Sango never understood that. They never treated her differently, but then again, they never treated her the same, either. Akane did that. Because she knew no difference. She knew nothing of what the pecking order around here could do to you after so many years. That's why she wanted her around. That's why she pushed. But seeing that look on Akane's face, pinched at the guilt deep in her belly.

Akane sensed Ukyo's hesitation and smiled it away, reaching over to gently squeeze the woman's hand. She watched silently out of the corner of her eye as Ranma and Ryoga rounded the table and sat. Not using his brain, Ranma decided that sitting relatively in front of Akane, in an attempt to make her look at him,w as a good idea.

Ulquiorra rolled his eyes; mentally anyways. He had always been talented at reading people's emotions, even people he'd never met before. He'd never met this Akane woman, yet he could feel the waves of sadness, anger, and tension swirling around her. On the other hand, the emotions rolling from his cousin were a bit baffling. There was relief and excitement in his eyes yet the poor man looked so tense he could snap a pencil with his butt. He mentally resisted the urge to roll his eyes again. He could feel the oncoming battle brewing and it was only a matter of time.

xxxxxxxx

Kuno steeled himself to come out swinging, preparing to take down whoever had their hands wrapped so tight around his mouth he could barely breathe. Then he blinked. And inhaled. Plum. Only one woman wore plum perfume. The real question is, why would said woman be inside of the closet when he remembered CLEARLY telling her to sit her over-anxious posterior INSIDE of the car until he came to retrieve her?

Knowing her lover for so long, she could first feel the tension, the hesitation, and then the realization hit him all at one. She timidly pulled her hands from around his mouth and as he slowly turned towards her in the darkened room, she managed the cheekiest smile she could mustard.

"Hey Kuno Baby! Did you know that to the left of this building is a fire escape that leads to the roof, which leads to a set of stairs that lead to the backdoor of this here room?" She pointed over her shoulder to the adjacent door right behind her. Taking as much of his unimpressed countenance in the dark room, shrugged. "You were taking too long, so…."

He rolled his eyes and reached into his jacket to pull out the rest of the blueprints and a small flashlight. Eyeing the piece of paper first, then the logistics of the room they were cramped in, Kuno nodded. This WAS the room he was looking for. Guess the blueprint wasn't as up to date as he thought. He'd get Konatsu later.

He had to give it to her. "Good job, Nabiki." Rolling his eyes even further as she provided him with a smug smirk of satisfaction, he pointed towards the ceiling above them. "Now's a good of time as any." Indicating with his hands, he locked them together to provide the shorter Nabiki a boost towards the ceiling above them. She blinked and then stared at him as if he had grown another head. "Too many wacks to the head Tatewaki." She swiftly turned and grabbed the utility ladder behind her. "What were you going to do, basket toss me towards the ceiling?"

Ignoring the death glare he aimed for her and her alone, she raced up the ladder and unlatched the hinges before lifting herself into the duct. Kuno followed closely behind her, before reaching down and sliding the ladder slightly out of the way, to at least hide the fact that it lead straight to the duct entrance.

Based on what they'd discussed earlier, Nabiki had no problems navigating the duct ways. She strategically followed the right wall of the ventilation system until she reached the first room. Looking through the grates of the vent, she noticed that this was truly the hideout of the Masura clan. The room they sat above housed a number of shifty looking characters lounging about; some gambling in a corner, others idly playing a lazy game of Go, and one fella was staring down the barrel of a pistol…that he was cleaning.

"See anything yet?" Nabiki shook her head and continued forward. After passing a couple of empty rooms, she came across a darkened room with a single bed and a desk, yet nothing else. She was about to crawl pass the room when a figure pushed past the door. Nabiki reached back, flailing at Kuno. "I can't see who it is…but…" the words fell from her lips as a squatty lump of a man she assumed was Sauske entered the room. He was rubbing his head and jumped a second later as the door flew back and two female figures followed behind him quickly. "Well, I'll be damned." Nabiki propped herself on one hand, wondering at her luck at finding the object of her search that easily.

"What! What's going on?" Kuno dropped in a hushed whisper. When Nabiki didn't answer, he took matters into his own hands, slinking up the air vent. Snarling at the sudden invasion of her space, Nabiki twisted sideways to allow her impatient lover more room in the vent. He ignored the look of thinly veiled displeasure on her face and concentrated on what had snatched her tongue a minute ago. Below, he instantly indentified Sauske and his bright plum suit. His frown deepened as she also noticed the two female figures with him. "Akahana and Sachi…"

"Akahwhoada-whata? "

Kuno sighed. "Akahana and Sachi. They were my sister's attendants. I was hoping that it was coincidence, that Konatsu was wrong. But…they're here." He shifted to get a better view. "WHY they are here is a good question." Nabiki bit back her normally smart allicky remark in lieu of the situation. The look in his eyes let her know exactly what was on his mind. His sister…his family…his connections. She silently placed a soft hand against his cheek and smiled. He smiled back at her, holding her gaze for a moment before turning back to the vent.

"When are they going to let me out?" Sauske flopped onto the lone bed in the room, defeated. He'd been stuck in this basement for the last twenty four hours. He was tired of being here, tired of having keep quiet and most of all tired of that stupid godforsaken noise that came from the Cafe. Akahana shrugged. "If you had done your job and brought the Tendo girl back here, you wouldn't be "stuck" here. You'd be at the fortress with Kodachi. But you see the problem, now don't you?"

"Look here brat! I did my job, the best I could. Not my fault that she had that coalition of kung fu-jitsu-master fighters as body guards."

"They weren't bodyguards. They were the Madam's first objective. If you'd had half a brain, you'd have tried to kill two birds with one stone." Sachi supplied. "Tendo and Saotome are our only links to Yangupawa. And you let them slip away. So for all of your troubles…" Sachi slid a tray towards him and turned away, "You get free room and board. Eat up."

"Hey! You two…is there any chance that you'd be able to tell me what exactly Yangupawa is…I mean…I should at least know…"

"No."

"But, it's only fair to know why!"

"No. Don't ask again. In approximately three days, you'll be transferred from here back to the Masura Clan holdings. There you are to assist Kodachi in setting up the Chamber. It is to be ready by the Amaterasu festival, the following night. By that time, The Madam will be ready to go ahead with the rest of her plan. That is all you need to know. Be ready."

With that, Sachi and Akahana quietly left the room, having done their job. Above them, Kuno laid stock still. His eyes held a blank quality to them, as if he were far off in thought. Maybe shock. But then again, he thought, shock wasn't a good word. His sister had always been…crazy. Maniacal even. When you think about her laugh, her almost conspiratorial although deluded thought processes, her rapid fascination with a man who wanted nothing to do with her and the things she would do to create a passion that wasn't there. All the clues lead to insane. But to think she would be connected to something this…INSANE was beyond him.

They were ROYALTY for Kami-sakes! The world was at the tip of their fingers, they wanted for nothing! So what exactly could his sister gain from her connection with the Masura? None of this made sense. And there was one person who'd make it make sense. Right below him.

He turned to Nabiki, who had slipped as much of herself around him as the air duct would allow. He smiled at realizing how stealthy she'd move into his space. She was always this tender in private. Only in private though. She was silently laying soft kisses on his collarbone; something she knew always calmed him when he was agitated. And boy was he agitated. She knew his silly little ways and he never had to tell her. She just knew. That's why he loved her. That's why he'd get her to admit…one day….

"Nabiki….baby. Change of plans."

She lifted her head, with an inquisitive look plastered on her face. She was quite enjoying herself, almost forgetting that they were squashed together in a dark and very hot air duct above the underground headquarters of a very dangerous crime syndicate. Perfect time to mentally get away.

"In about…two minutes, I need you to slide to the other side of the duct. I'm going to lift the grate and climb dow-"

"YOU'RE GOING TO DO WHAT?" Her whisper still quiet but filled with sudden tension and anger. "You're not going ANYWHERE, buddy! Hell is wrong with you! The plan was to come here, get information and LEAVE."

"And what exactly did we find out? Other than my sister is involved? We don't know who's running this show, don't know what they want and don't know where they'll go. We NEED more information or else we've done nothing for Akane but add to the list of crimes we've committed. I'm going down."

"Oh! So for Akane, I'm going to let you shimmy your ass down there, get CAUGHT, beat up and killed by some of the most dangerous criminals Japan has ever seen? Yeah….GREAT plan." She detangled herself quickly and tried to move as far away from him in the limited space as she could. "You're Tokyo's very own Colombo….dumb ass idi-" Before she could finish her statement, Kuno reached across the space and pulled her into a searing kiss, his tongue battling with her will, for her to understand, and if not understand, be the hell quiet. Not a bad way to shut her up either.

He took advantage of her silence when he pulled slightly from her mouth, the heat still searing his lips. "Trust me." Is all he said, as he grazed her lips one more time before pointing across the tiny space to the other side of the duct. Nabiki sighed. They were up in their armpits in hot sweaty trouble. What else could go wrong? Everything. Yep. She shrugged. "I laugh in the face of danger." She stated out loud and ignored Kuno's bewildered stare and pretended not to see his eyebrow inch further towards his hairline to her outburst.

She slinked across the opening just as he quietly opened the grate. Sauske was sleep, amazingly, in the short amount of time since the Akahana and Sachi left; guess boredom will do that to you. Holding to the grate edge, he slipped down, landing silently on the floor. All he wanted to do was search the room quietly, see if he could find any tangible clues and then leave the same way he came. The room was virtually empty; the only viable thing was the tray that Sauske had neglected. There was, however, something that looked like a folder tucked in between the crate box used as a night stand and the mattress.

Kuno looked back up at Nabiki and motioned with his hands to where he was going. He frowned at the widening of her eyes and ignored her "abort mission" sign, the frantic waving of her hands making her look ridiculous. He pinned her with an "I'm doing it and you can't stop me" slant of eye and turned to reach for the item, only to find Sauske staring him dead in the eyes.

Kuno panicked. Terribly. It looked as if Sauske had been feigning sleep the entire time and was now preparing himself to holler at the top of his lungs. Last thing they needed was every yakuza in this building to come crashing down on their heads. So he swung. HARD. Sauske's diminutive body instantly went slack amidst Kuno's very wide and surprised eyes. He hadn't expected the man to collapse like that. He just wanted to stun him, not knock him out. Nabiki's eyes matched his as she watched Kuno look around wildly for a solution.

"What the hell did you DO?" Nabiki lowered her head down into the room to glare at him.

"Keep your voice down, you want the entire restaurant to come in here?"

"I KNEW this was a bad idea. Hell is wrong with you? What are we supposed to do now! Dear six pound eight ounce Baby Jesus…"

"Nabiki! Concentrate!...Um...Uhhh...We've got to take him with us!"

"WHAT? WHAT did you just say! You didn't just say take him WITH us did you?"

"LOWER. YOUR. VOICE, Nabiki!"

"Screw you! You just provided one of the most IDIOTIC plans…how the hell did I get wrapped up in this SHIT with you?"

"You were all gung-ho a minute ago, with your Ninja 101 outfit and your…"

"Stop! He's waking up! If you're gonna grab him, do it now!"

Kuno noticed the very slight movement of the man slumped up against his side. He heaved the smaller body over his shoulder, grabbing the chair in the corner on his way back to the duct. Standing, his lifted Sauske's body over the edge of the duct, before pulling himself back up. Nabiki quickly closed the grate. They stared at each other for a full minute before the slightly undertrained martial artist sighed and applied gentle pressure to Sauske's neck, rendering him fully unconscious again.

"Glad to see you dusting off that good old training there, Nabiki."

"Shove it, Kuno. Let's get the hell outta here. This duct leads to an outside grate towards the side of the building. Let's pray we don't get caught and killed. Because I promise I'll haunt your soul for the rest of my life if we do.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

Ranma could be classified as a fool. He knew this. Yet he was brave, and bravery had to count for something. The very small, yet apparently brilliant part of him, had told him he should eat in his room; he should avoid her until she calmed down…maybe forever. What could he really offer her? From the looks of her eyes, displeasure wasn't a strong enough word for her feelings towards him. But, and yes, there is a but; the simple fact that she was so upset gave him all the hope in the world. She did actually care; this wasn't some crazed power hungry move a courtier would pull. They'd ignore the transgression. Much like Shampoo did. It was more than obvious what was going on between them when Shampoo arrived. But because the title of Princess and not Ranma's Saotome's consort and wife was her main priority, she pretty much ignored it for now. There was not telling with that woman. She appareled slow and bird-brained, but was as calculating as any courtier he'd ever met. He rolled his eyes. Only fate would deliver him everything he needed to survive after he'd taken the plunge off a deep cliff.

He had a meeting this afternoon. A very important meeting.

He looked out of the corner of his eyes at her woman of his thoughts. _Stupid woman, she probably wouldn't even talk to me if I tried. Wait…I haven't tried. Let me try…_

He sensed his cousin rolling his eyes to his left. He ignored it. Ulquiorra's special brand of common sense was not what was needed at the moment. If he asked the Takahashi heir, he'd probably give him two thumbs up. Inuyasha was foolhardy, just like him. I mean…that's how he won his woman over. Brashness. Fair to say that Kagome was as brash as him…but that's beside the point. He racked his brain thinking of a reason to speak to her. He could comment on the weather, if he wanted to be a total loser. Or he could lay it on thick and tell her he missed her smile, the room seemed dark without it. Or her laughter caused his heart to do a funny little happy dance and he felt sad not to hear it. He could tell her a million things right now….

"Your teeth look nice today, Akane…" He groaned and lowered his head as he heard Miroku beside him struggling to stifle his laughter. After a beat, he slowly opened one eye only to see the blue haired beauty caustically raising an eyebrow at him. "I'm sure, Saotome. I DID brush them this morning."

"Yes…Yes. Very good. But what I had meant to say was, that I…"

"Nihao, arien!"

_Dear God, Buddha, Kami, and whatever other god you could worship on this dear sweet earth. What have I DONE to deserve such black dark evil! TELL ME! _

Every head in the room, sans Ukyo who just sneered at the unwelcomed visitor, dropped. Even the stoic Sesshoumaru's head dwindled a little. Not that they didn't like the woman, she was just, for a lack of words, exhausting. She was never quiet, never still, and most of all, never QUIET. The quality of her voice was annoying enough as it was, but the incessant chatter was just too much to bear. But they'd all heard the stories and quickly the downtrodden heads perked back up, to what could be a dastardly, yet entertaining situation.

Ranma wanted to shake the woman senseless. Just for her timing. She holds the record for terrible timing. "Shampoo….What are you doing here?"

"Well, I know I not normally invited to this dinner, but since that woman was allowed to come, I come." She blinked innocently while pointing her finger dejectedly at Akane. "She not special, I special. I eat." She raised an eyebrow at Miroku, who slid down further to make room for the heavily perfumed kitten. The silence that followed her appearance was tangible and no one made a move to start a conversation. Ranma ached to reach out and speak to Akane, but with his fiancée wrapped around his arm, intimately picking food to try from his bowl, he couldn't.

But one thing about his current situation caused him great, GREAT concern. Akane had started to glow.

DANGER! DANGER! DANGER!

Shampoo picked this time to ignore the faint hum of Akane's presence and question her. "Me and Ranma love each other. Who you love? Maybe someone in your city? Doesn't matter, you should find someone else." She raised an eyebrow at the kimono that was loaded to Akane. "You dress like boy earlier. Why you dress like girl now?" Pointing to Ukyo, "That one never dress like girl either." Ukyo growled but stayed her place. Flinging her long hair over her shoulder, she sighed. "Violent tomboy, how you know my airen again?"

The top of Akane's lip had curled into a snarl. Add to the fact that she had actually starting snarling…audibly; it was no wonder that Kagome, Ukyo and Sango had taken a slight step back away from the table. Sesshoumaru had stopped eating mid bite, while Miroku was tapping at an oblivious Inuyasha who was inhaling ramen noodles at the speed of sound. Ulquiorra sat still, his eye's wilting to slits as he noticed the slightly radiating blue hair woman to his right. He noticed, in acute detail, everything he was witnessing. From the pulse of her aura, to the barley visible writing that was appearing on her face and shoulders….around her neck….. Then he noticed the most important thing of all.

"Me and airen would have been perfectly…"

Akane shoved herself away from the table. It was one thing, one very BAD thing, to have to sit across from the man she had fought with and for…the man she slept with….the man she fell in LOVE with, with his fiancé wrapped around him like cheap suit. But then the little birdbrain was going to sit there and INSULT her to her face? Not in this lifetime buddy. If she had her thoughts together, if she were somewhere where she wasn't a stain on the obviously aristocratic fabric in her presence, if her heart wasn't being held together simply by sheer strength and will, she MAY have been able to ignore the cheap taunts of the noblewoman. BUT….

"You have problem…Putaro?" She then turned and uttered something in Chinese knowing that Akane knew nothing of the language, while everyone at the table did.

Everyone's eyes had grown the size of saucers. The Japanese insult was enough; calling another woman a tramp to her face was enough to cause a fight. But thank the kamis Akane didn't understand what she'd said in mainland. Regardless of one missed insult, the other one was enough to cause her aura to flair dangerously, the blue licking at the air currents.

Ulquiorra was suddenly very glad that he was taught the art of sonido at a young age. He had learned every aspect of it , mastered it and was a known frequent user of it. So when both Akane and Ulquiorra disappeared suddenly, only the leaving breeze of their exit swift remaining, everyone exhaled.

Sango looked over to Ukyo. "So that's that "glow" they were talking about, eh?" Ukyo gave an uneasy smile as she glanced across the table to her Prince. His face was pinched and angry, his eyes closed as he tried to reign in his own rage.

"Keh, someone should go check after her" The mostly silent Inuyasha supplied. Ukyo rose from her seated position to do just that, but a firm hand wrapped around hers from across the table. "I'll go." Ranma pinned her with his stare, telling her to keep her 'I don't think that's a good idea's to herself. But that didn't stop the feline sitting next to him. "Why you go? No! You stay here with me! You no go after that violent tomboy! I forbid it."

Ranma whipped on her faster than she could inhale for her next set of infuriating words. "You FORBID me, Shampoo?" He removed her arm from around him forcefully. Through gritted teeth, he bit out "Remember your station, woman. We are not married; you hold no place BESIDE me, only behind me at this point. "A tick formed over Shampoo's left eye, at the humiliation of it all, but other than that, she wasn't affected. She WOULD be his wife soon, and he'd cut this macho bullshit out the moment they were wed. "Do what you want." She excuse herself from the table with a nod and briskly walked off in the opposite direction Akane and Ulquiorra had disappeared.

Ranma looked around at the guest at his table, his gaze wondering off to the tables below them that were looking up at their table in rapt fascination. _This'll be the talk of the city tonight. Shit. _He sighed, bowed slightly to his eating companions and marched off in the direction his cousin and the woman who'd turned his would upside down had gone.

Akane hadn't even started her sentence before she felt the wind whip across her face. She blinked and she suddenly found herself in a flat meadow surrounded by tall trees. A small pond laid to the right of her while a larger building loomed behind the man who had apparently brought her here.

"I'm assuming you…whisked me away or whatever, because you thought that I was about to act inappropriately at you guys little dinner. Well. You're right, I was. But don't dare assume that you can do whatever the hell you just did, ever again. I am not und-"

The stoic man in front of her interrupted her. "Woman, tell me why you were glowing."

Akane paused then raised an eyebrow before helplessly shrugging. "I was glowing…again?"

"You don't feel anything when you're in that state?"

She offered an uneasy smile. "No…not really. I was just really mad and couldn't control myself. I usually don't get that mad. So I guess you can say I feel anger…or danger…or some kind of threat. It's only happened once and I was in the midst of being attacked."

"It's your aura…chi…chakra. Whatever you prefer to call it." Ulquiorra lifted an eyebrow…she thought, she couldn't' really tell, his face was unreadable. "It builds when you feel threatened. Just as I suspected."

"Suspected? The hell you mean suspected? You've seen this before?"

Ulquiorra remained silent for a beat then took a step closer. "Who provided you with that?" He began to walk closer to her until he was right in front of her. He reached out and tapped the black tourmaline necklace around her neck. Akane blinked in confusion, looking down at the stone around her neck.

Her mother gave her that stone when she was three, right before she died the following year. For a long time she couldn't bear to even look at the necklace, let alone wear it. It wasn't until her twenty fifth birthday did she feel brave enough to wear it. Feeling she had become the woman her mother had always wanted her to be.

"My mother gave it to me, when I was very young, but what does that have to do with…"

"Black tourmaline. You know nothing about this stone you wear around your neck?"

Akane provided the pale man with a cheeky sarcastic smile. "Does it LOOK like I know?"

Ranma's cousin nodded. "You would think that the man would have recognized the stone in its pure element. " He sighed. "There is only one other woman who would know anything about a host of black tourmaline." Akane started then stopped. _HOST?_ _She wasn't a damn host of anything._ "She will tell you everything you need to know. The glow, the writings, the power."

"Wait a damn minute. A Host? A host of a rock? Get outta here, sir. I'm nobody's host. I damn sure am not the host of a rock. I don't have powers, despite what you've heard. I was upset and I overreacted. That is all. All I want to do is go home. As soon as possible. I am NOT about to get sucked into some kind of conspiracy about a friggin rock I've owned for 20 years."

"Inochi. You are of the Inochi. Probably THE Inochi since it seems you harvest this power unrestrained."

Akane rolled her eyes and resisted the urge to stomp her foot against the grassed earth. "Look here! I am not anyth-". She halted mid sentence as a beam of light began to gather at the end of Ulquiorra's finger. Before she could grasp what was happening, the beam grew tenfold and a power erupted from him heading straight for her.

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**S/N: I love testing Akane. Why? Because she'll come out strong. I love my supporting cast! Don't you? It's fun. Quick shoutout to whoever told me my paragraphs were running together. See my cute little separator art thingamagigs :D! Well they didn't work out THAT well, so I used xxx's! So That bud is for YOU! Thanks! **

Putaro : Tramp. Heheheeh. ( I think...)

Airen: Husband. Nihao: Hello in Chinese

Mainland: China…Chinese…anything relating to China.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Ano. I can't spell, HA! (Thanks my Jewell, ****Angela Jewell****! Girl, at one point I wanted to call the man SANOSUKE #teardrop) I MIGHT want to get a Beta. But…..bleh. Again, thank you for the reviews. I wanted to write and epic poem in honor of my reviewers. It was going pretty well….until I had to rhyme Ulquiorra with something. It's like trying to find a word that rhymes with purple. Urkle? Eh. So I decided not to. Thank you for my latest reviews ****Angela Jewell, Shadowalker666, SpiritDweller13****, ****tomboy 26, Anna, mafufa, animelover116, jdcocoagirl, and bambii46****. I'm trying to systematically find a way to get to each one of your pages so I can read (because I REED GUUD AND I LIKES TA REED). Okay! Tally ho! *rides off into the sunset* **

A Delicate Covenant

"My words fly up, my thoughts remain below: Words without thoughts never to heaven go."

-King (Hamlet)

_Inochi. You are of the Inochi. Probably THE Inochi since it seems you harvest this power unrestrained."_

_Akane rolled her eyes and resisted the urge to stomp her foot against the grassed earth. "Look here! I am not anyth-". She halted mid sentence as a beam of light began to gather at the end of Ulquiorra's finger. Before she could grasp what was happening, the beam grew tenfold and a power erupted from him heading straight for her. _

She could remember a time when she was pretty normal. Well, as realistically normal as a daughter of Tendo Soun could be. The inheritor to a dojo; taught to block kicks forcefully instead of learning how to serve tea gracefully. The art provided her with the power to conquer anything, so her Father said so she continued on neglecting normalcy to its face while at the same time striving to adopt it. That was her problem, her "Tou-San", had told her repeatedly. "You can't pretend to be normal, Akane. Yet, there is nothing wrong with being abnormal. Abnormalities breed change; they are revolutionary in their acts. That is why we are practitioners of ANYTHING GOES, my love."

So it turns out, she COULDN'T remember a time when she was normal.

But there was a bold, outlined and italic line between abnormal and just plain weird; outrageous even. This, staring her in the face went beyond the realms of her focus. Here stood a man, she'd known for the better half of a second, explaining tomfoolishness about a damn rock, and the moment she drew what was to be the biggest rebuttal slash hissy fit the world had ever seen, he had the GALL to…hell she didn't know. WHAT WAS this thing heading towards her? She looked. Then blinked. Then she realized that she could see the strange, remarkably pale man to her right, and her own body to her left. She blinked again. Then she panicked.

_HAVE I died already? Am I somehow witnessing my life before I die! What in Kami's name is going on! Sweet merciful Buddha, I don't want to die!_

Subsequently, the next actions of "herself" served to dually heighten her panic yet astound her. She watched, with a sense of awe, herself begin to glow. She had witnessed, up close this "glow" that that damned pigtailed buffoon mentioned every time he got a chance. It was a physical visual manifestation of her battle aura. Not that alarming, if one was to think about it. It was the exotic darkening of her skin, the faint tracings of letters that magically etched themselves down the side of her face, across her chest and now down her arm.

Then she felt it. It was that same burning at the pit of her stomach, that promised something, yet she could never figure it out. The Akane on the ground suddenly whipped her head towards the sky where she "floated". Her body smiled and Akane found herself one again with her body, just as her pupils started to dilate. Her understood now that her mind and her body were one, unlike before were she retained no information of the event. Instantly, Akane was aware of the battle aura of Ulquiorra; a very powerful one at that. She also noticed the ominous beam of light that erupted from him languished towards her slowly. She was a precipice of action; she stared over the ledge as time precariously stood still.

She shook her head, aware of the voices now screaming at her. For her to do something…say something…say anything. She smiled as she recognized the words causing the sensation of a burning fire in her center.

"Invoke."

Her hair caught in the currents of her own aura, Akane found herself in revelation of this power. She consciously was aware of what was happening to her. The green of Ulquiorra's aura, the sudden heaviness in the air caused by the tangible pressure of his power, the tingling of all her senses as the beam of pure energy slowly made its way to her. Then time caught up; she moved. Grinding her foot slightly behind her to give her leverage, she shouted a word that whispered itself, bouncing off the walls of her own soul.

"HATSUDOU!" A beam of pure energy collected itself at the center of her hands, and then released itself into a powerful white hot beam that collided with Ulquiorra's own energy. The resulting blast lit up the surrounding area with a blue glow as the swirling mass of energy grew with the clashing of Akane's and Ulquiorra's powers. The energy pushed up against her, sliding against her provisions; she felt her foot start to slip. She was going fly; she knew that much, only to crash to the earth. And she did, momentarily. But she never felt herself fall, as a pair of strong arms wrapped themselves around her slim waist and grounded her.

When the blast subsided she found herself fit snugly against the strong chest of a Ranma Saotome, his hair windblown and askew, breathing heavily. But his strong reality was there, keeping her from flying off this earth and into another dimension. He had been there for her, without her asking. He slowly opened his eyes, glancing down at her, her wildly exotic skin, and the markings on her chest. He knew that she'd exhibited those strange mysterious powers of hers, yet he didn't care. He searched her body, looking for an injury or anything that would indicate that she was hurt. Finding nothing, he roughly jerked her back into his arms, his mouth by her ear, his grip tight with worry. "You scared the SHIT out of me, girl."

For his part all he could do was watch. When he left the table, he was sure he'd find Ulquiorra and Akane somewhere near, him bestowing her with his best apathetic glancing, while she blew off whatever built up steam she'd acquired. And he wasn't wrong, technically. Akane was, in fact, blowing off steam. Ulquiorra was indeed bestowing his best apathetic stare in her direction. It was just the mysterious glowing, and the two powerful beams of energy that were seconds from an epic collision. That was what he had not counted on.

He had seriously underestimated Akane's anger.

Seriously.

Not to say that it wasn't justified. He considered himself the scum of the earth, not even worth the perpetual body slam that he knew she'd be more than happy to administer. This wasn't the plan. This wasn't the plan at all. Well, technically the plan was to live his life for a few months, come back, marry the bimbo and live his maladjusted life as comfortable as possible. So, Akane was the catalyst for change, but it was the type of change that he desired, wished for. It was welcomed. But he was unprepared, not knowing how to handle the situation. Even if Shampoo hadn't tipped the jar of truth over, she'd found out once they stepped foot onto Chiyoda's grounds. If not then, some ninny of a servant would have dropped the ball, and even if that didn't happen, he would have had to have been honest before he spoke with the council.

The council, the bane of his existence, yet the glue that held them all together, although shabbily. The council consisted of ten of the clans eldest or most knowledgeable members. Appointed for their wisdom of all things clansake, they rule congruently with the Prince of the clan, as well as the Mother and Father of the clan, balancing out the powers until the Prince took effective rule. The three factions voted on various situations, and if a decision could not be reached, the vote was to be thrown to the population. The fourth power was the entire city of Chiyoda; this was the motivation to handle each clan's problem in-house. Situations that were thrown to Chiyodian power were effective, but highly involved, and usually at the cost of the clan's pride. It was an embarrassing ordeal to have your business out in the streets.

Ranma had no real problem with the way things were run. Taichousen clan was noble in its handling of its affairs. Most rulings were strict, but fair. But he was about to approach them with something very "unfair" in the eyes of noble ruling. That didn't stop him, however. He was sure to convince them to hear his side, BE on his side.

Wrong.

The moment he stepped foot into the council chambers, he encountered his Father's fiery gaze from the opposite side of the room. The man had spoke no more than two words on the trip home, despite the anger, then subsequent pity he felt for his son. Genma had decided to hold off on his ranting until this very moment. And he did so in a very Genma fashion. Leaping across the table, he slammed his foot squarely in the middle of Ranma's chest. He who had been watching his father's every move since he entered the chamber, caught his father's foot, and twisted it, the momentum causing him to fly to the ground. Ranma took this opportunity to pounce, grabbing Genma's hand and twisting it painfully.

"THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM? You damned old panda!" Genma grunted roughly at the mistreatment of his wrist, relaxing it against Ranma's hold. Thinking the older man had come to his senses, he loosened his grip, only for Genma to reach up and grab Ranma's forearm with his free hand and throw him up and over his head into the wall. Using speed most wouldn't think the bulkier man was capable of having, he tackled Ranma just as he hit the wall, driving him further into the wood.

"Don't you dare question me, you idiot! I'm going to live a quiet life, you say. I only want to work on my gadget-hoo-haas and invention-thing-a-ma-gigs, you say. I need this adventure as my last, I'll be safe, you say. Safe my ass! How in Kami's name did you get into THIS much trouble?"

Ranma struggled again the strong hold his Father had him in. What he'd do for a bucket of cold water right now. "I'm YOUR son, remember? That's how I got into that much trouble! I don't know what the hell is going on!" He found leverage and slammed his knee into the rib of his Father, buying him enough slack to move as the man move to block a repeated attack. "YOU guys are the council! You tell ME how I got into, " smacking away his father's hand that was inching itself towards his unprotected neck, "-so much trouble!"

The members of the council looked around. The Young Prince had a point. Taking everything that had been reported into consideration, this sounded far removed from anything one man could surmount upon himself in a few months. A weathered alderwoman stood, motioning to the guards to break the pair up. She wasn't surprised by their actions, this is typically how the communicated. She did snort at them while rolling her eyes.

"Ranma. Genma. Cut it out." Genma looked over his shoulder at Issendai, who stood tapping her foot against the oak floor. She turned an empathetic smile towards Nodoka, who was rubbing the hilt of her nose in slight aggravation. Genma looked sheepishly at the floor, before pulling up the rumpled pile of man that was currently his son. After taking their seats as if they didn't just hold a miniscule battle royale, Issendai motioned to every member in the room. "We ARE the council, so Ranma's point is valid. We need to, in a CONSTRUCTIVE manner" she said while eyeballing the Prince and the Father, "investigate how Ranma's identity was found out, what they are after, and the involvement of Akane Tendo."

At the mention of the young woman's name, Genma coughed loudly, directing a pointed look at Issendai, his eyes then distinctively motioning towards a young Prince who was in the process of fixing his attire. She awarded his a puzzled frown, and began to speak again. "Aka-"

He coughed even louder, his eyes widening to the size of saucers. Nodoka rolled her eyes and watched her son lean over her dramatic husband's figure. "Aye, Pops, I didn't hit you THAT hard, did I? You alright?" He smiled wanly at his son. He then began to calm and eyed Issendai one last time, who looked to be on the verge of mentioning the woman's name again and inhaled to repeat his actions. She narrowed her eyes at him cuttingly, and then threw her hands up. "ANYWAYS, we need to collect as much intel as possible. We have Tadao briefing our military faction and security. We have the distinct pleasure of having Yoruichi back in Chiyoda; she will serve as Tadao's captain of Black Ops. Happosai," Issendai paused, looking heavenwards for apparent strength, before continuing on, "has arrived to apparently provide us with …something. What is he useful for, I'm not quite sure, but he is here, nonetheless."

"Prince, we shall keep you apprised of any conclusive findings we have. We have no further clan business and since you have been debriefed, you may go relax until we meet again. Is there anything else you'd like to bring before the council?"

Ranma gulped. Here came the hard part. Well hard parts.

"Actually, two things, Elder Issendai." Turning he addressed the entire council before him. "As you all know, during the events that unfolded over the course of the last few days, I have also managed to capture a bounty."

An aldermen by the name of Jiro, nodded before clearing his throat. "The Ookii."

Ranma nodded in affirmation. "I understand where my powers lie and do not lie for the time being, so I am here to plead on his behalf." He paused at the questioning looks from the council members. "I am here to plead he be released as a free man. There was a collective murmur among the council members at Ranma's request.

"And you've come to this conclusion because…." Jiro spoke up again, leaning forward in his chair in anticipation of Ranma's answer. _These are examples of his leadership; I wonder what he has to say. _

"His fiancée's decision to pledge allegiance with the Takahashis as a priestess, was partially due to my influence. Because of that decision, as we all know, she was not allowed to marry. Under duress, Taro attacked the Takahashi princess that day. I have spoken with her. She has all but forgotten about the incident. With the young woman now serving outside of that capacity, I think there is no reason to think the incident would happen again. I think it is a matter that should be voted on."

Issendai looked contemplative. "Anyone here willing to second that?" Jiro nodded, raising a single favor for Ranma's vote. "We will take a vote, then. Council members, think wisely about your decision." Standing she spoke loudly and clearly. "In concern of the matters of releasing The Ookii, please respond accordingly. All in favor raise your hand." Eight hands were raised, a majority vote. "That was fairly easy. The favor has it. Taro The Ookii will be released, on a probation period, of course. Any objections, Mother? Father?"

The shook their head negatively and Issendai smiled. "You, Ranma are responsible for his actions until that probation period is up. Is that understood?" Ranma nodded and smiled. "And your other matter, Prince?"

Ranma cleared his throat. He'd practiced this speech a million times in his head. Standing tall, he lifted his head majestically. "This is in regards to my betrothal." He swallowed thickly, as he met the eyes of each council member. "I wish to cancel it."

The once quiet council chambers erupted. The aldermen Bishamon raised his voice the loudest. "What is the meaning behind this? It took us several years to pick out Shampoo as an appropriate bride for you."

"She is indeed a fine bride; do not get me wrong…"

"Then what is the problem! You are a few months away from your 28th birthday. We don't have the time to consider looking for another prospect."

"Elder Bishamon, I already have one picked out."

"You released that option already, Ranma. It is impossible to disregard tradition in that sort. Any _new_ contract we build now will take months, if not years to complete. Not in enough time for your 28th birthday." Jiro crossed his fingers under his chin. He spoke the truth. It took the council 5 years to arrange the marriage between the Amazon tribe and the Taichousen. To consider another would be disastrous. Apparently the rest of the council agreed with him. Ranma looked to his left and his right, in horror to find that both of his parents were nodding in agreement as well.

"THIS is your answer? I have NO say so in this matter whatsoever?" Ranma fumed. "I haven't even told you who I've chosen."

"It does not matter, young Prince." Bishamon stated. "Save her for your mistress, you have the right to do so." The alderman supplied under his breath. Issendai cut her eyes at his remark. The man was crass and, well, she just didn't like him. Never liked him. She then glanced across at Father and Mother's faces. Nodoka faced was doing a poor job of hiding the confusion and pain she felt for her son, Genma on the other hand looked shamefaced but steadfast in his decision not to grant an opposing favor for Ranma.

"No Vote, NO NOTHING. Just ACCEPT this! I won't! No one here will second the favor?" He was greeted with silence. The chill of anger was too much for him, and it took everything in his power to rein that anger in before he did something he'd regret. So instead he turned on his heels and stormed out of the chambers, slamming every shoji door he could get his hands on.

The room was quiet in the wake of his anger filled leaving. Out the corner of his eyes, Jiro looked at his fellow council members. The point was valid, but it still upset him to see the Prince's request rejected so venomously. But that was the nature of Taichousen law. He HAD hoped though, the Prince had picked up on the inkling of information he'd clued him in on.

As soon as the doors shut, Issendai marched over to Genma Saotome with passion. She'd connected enough dots during Genma's ardent distraction earlier; Ranma's display just now and needed to confirm it but had to wait for private council with Father, far from the ears of his son. "Inconceivable! You are not going to sit here and tell me, that he has chosen HER, of all people…"

Genma closed his eyes and let his head fall into his open hands. "Her…of all people."

Ranma ripped through the gardens surrounding the council chambers, trying to find a way to control himself. One second the council seemed to be a functioning sanction of this clan, up to speed and trendy with the changes in society. How quickly they forgave Taro; he was amazed as that decision. He had geared himself up to bring every witness into the chambers, even if it had to Rouge herself. Not that he felt that passionately about Taro's case, but Akane did. He'd do anything to make her smile at this point. But as soon as he'd allowed himself to think that the council had grown, they'd quickly smothered any flame of hope he had. He was shocked at the sturdy wall of negation they amassed, and how quickly it was built. What was he to do now? He returned to his chambers to find a hopeful Ukyo and Ryoga waiting for news, only to shake his head pitifully before he locked himself briefly in his library. He only removed himself when the stirrings of his stomach became too much for him to bear and he eventually made his way to the teahouse with his bodyguards in tow.

And here he stands, watching the fireworks of a very pissed off woman against a very powerful man light up half of the compound. He didn't think he just moved as he saw the shockwave nearing closer to Akane, on the verge of sweeping her up in the currents of power. He jumped into the field, running until he reached her. Wrapping his arms around her, he braced himself, adding his strength to hers. When the blast subsided, he panicked. He didn't know what in Kami's name was going on; all he knew is that she could have been hurt. He checked her thoroughly for any injuries before crushing her against him.

Ulquiorra's watched from his stance on the other side of the field. He was untouched, not a hair out of place. Her power surprised him, but didn't overtake him. His Cero was half powered, mostly wind, little of his actually power backing it. He needed to test his theory. His suspicions had been confirmed. He paced towards to the pair, but not before Ranma forcefully placed Akane behind him, a furious scowl on his face.

"What. The. Fuck? Did you just unleash a fucking CERO at her? A CERO! Are you INSANE?"

Ranma was furious. Out of all the people he knew, Ulquiorra was the only person that was adeptly powerful enough to manifest energy the way he did. This was the distinct reason he was his first sword. There weren't many as powerful as this man was. But due to his power he was pretty much held captive here. No one would be insane enough to let him wander the streets alone. Heaven forbid that mask of detachment crack. And had the feeling that it hadn't crack in Akane's presence, but still the same, he'd unleashed a Cero; the explanation should be flawless.

"No more insane, than you cousin. You unleashed an Amazon on her. "Ulquiorra retained his detached glare at his younger cousin. He valued his cousin's respect, as he was one of the few men who actually could read him, for Ulquiorra did not speak often. That didn't stop his slight annoyance that for one if he'd been thinking with his head and not that insipid heart of his, Ranma would have been able to calculate the pressure used in his Cero. It could not have hurt a fly. And two, to think that Ulquiorra would harm an innocent and powerless…he took that back…just innocent woman, was beyond his scope of understanding. None of this annoyance showed on his face. Nothing rarely, showed on his face, actually.

"You sorry sack of shit!" Embarrassed that the man nonchalantly brought up that subject without so much as lifting a finger, he continued his tirade. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Testing a theory, nothing else." Ulquiorra turned to leave. But not before Ranma raced to him, grabbing his collar. "Hell, you think you're going?" Before he could complete the next string of words that he'd be sure to regret, Ranma found himself with his back on the ground looking up at his cousin. A slick tick mark had appeared on Ulquiorra's cheek. "You'd be wise not to mishandle the collar." Ranma rolled his eyes at his cousin. For a man who didn't seem to have much connection with material things, his attire was nothing to be trifled with. "If you would find your nerves and calm yourself, I will explain…quickly."

With a toss of his head, he motioned for both Ranma and Akane to follow him. Going back a path that led to the left of the field, Akane and Ranma followed the silent man up and over a hill, where a small building awaited them. Once inside, Ulquiorra mentioned for them to sit, while he provided them another one of his dispassionate glances, one hand stuffed in his pocket.

"Before you arrived, in all of your grandeur" He provided the man with a slightly raised brow, "I was accessing Tendo's capacity. I am sure you have seen this reaction to danger from her before?" Ranma glanced sideways at Akane before he nodded. Ulquiorra took a seat opposite of them, pulling a small box from a behind him. Opening it, he pulled out a shiny black crystal, the darkness of it contrasting against the paleness of his skin. It allowed light to shine through as if it were a diamond.

"Does this look familiar to you, Akane?" Her hand flew up to the rock jeweled around her neck. "The stone around your neck is a black tourmaline stone. This here in my hand is the crystallized version. This crystal is a rare form of tourmaline. It only appears every few hundreds of years, but although it looks like a diamond, it is not made in the same process as a diamond is. As it stands now, there are only 3 crystallized tourmaline stones on earth. Two are in Japan. One is located in the dead center of a mountain range in Europe. It is completely inaccessible. My wife owns….rather is the host of this one. And then there is this one."

Ulquiorra glanced at Ranma. "You know everything about black tourmaline crystal. Your fiancé's grandmother brought over a bounty as part of the dowry. Yet the one around her neck went unnoticed."

"Crystallized tourmaline and black stone tourmaline are two different things. We weren't interested in the crystallized version, because it was impossible to get. The only thing we've been able to recreate, on a very minute scale, are the powers in which your wife possess. Akane's…powers do not mimic that of Orihime."

"Ah. That is because you've never seen them in their raw form. When she first became the host of it, her powers manifested themselves just as Akane's have. That stone around her neck will eventually become a crystallized black tourmaline. The host has not been completed and that is why her powers are unsteady and weak. But when they do…"

"Is THAT what they meant by Inochi? Your wife…." Ranma ran a hand through his mussed hair, weighing the implications of it all.

"HEY!" Akane stood up abruptly. It was like she wasn't even there; this conversation about her but not including her was pissing her off. "I'm here. Don't speak as if I'm not. What in all the seven hells are you two talking about! I already told him I wasn't a damn host of anything!"

"I have no reason to lie to you. Do you think whatever power you are in possession of came was awarded from thin air? The risks to you are minimal. You will learn to control this power until you can call on it only when necessary. You being here puts US more at danger than the opposite, Tendo."

Akane kicked the chair behind her. "The HELL you mean by that? Ever since I hooked up with this idiot, I've been bombed, on fire, shot at, chased, cut, flown at, and any other ridiculously dangerous horrors that I imagined only in nightmares. How the hell am I a danger TO YOU?"

"Hell you calling an idiot?" Ranma laid his head angrily on his upturned palm. "You weren't calling me an idiot when you were-"

"If you want to die, mention what I think you're about to mention, and I'll grant it. I will kill you. I will kill you, a lot." She cracked her knuckles loudly to exemplify her point.

The stoic man glanced between the two, his emerald eyes appearing resigned as usual. The young man was stubbornly looking the opposite direction of the woman, grunting under his breath. Ranma was never in heightened control of his emotions or his mouth. "Are you two quite finished?" He raised a raven eyebrow at her.

Akane glared at the pigtail boy before taking her seat, refocusing her attention onto the intimidating man before her. But her eyes softened, as she assessed him quickly. He wasn't all that bad, quiet, scary, but all together, was giving her more insight than she could ask for. "Sorry."

"As I was saying, untamed you could reject the very existence of Chiyoda. Of Tokyo. Japan. Earth. That is what I mean by danger."

"As it stands, you are of a descendent of the goddess Amaterasu, keeper of the sun according to Japanese folklore. Her light shines on the citizens of Japan, especially those of the royal house. That light, when the black tourmaline crystal is involved is Inochi….Life." Akane blinked several times, an eyebrow lifted in slight confusion. Ulquiorra sighed. He wished that people took their studies more seriously. Especially now.

"The power you wield is mythical and revered. It has the power to reject, reduce and induce, practically speaking. When harvested and controlled, you can use your power to…." He stopped, searching the room for a viable example. Seeing nothing he focused a little of his power into the tip of his finger, engraving a circle into the wood of the table they sat at.

"Here. Everything in life works in a circle. Everything has a beginning and an end point. You have the power to control the motion of that circle. You can reject," He motioned with his finger in a counter clock wise motion, "Induce" he motioned now in a clockwise motion, or "reduce, which is to slow down the effects of either motion."

"I didn't do any of that outside. I just…you know…went boom. Blast. Pow. Ya know? None of this makes sense."

"That was nothing. You protected yourself. You gathered your energy and hurled it my direction. Your agility and strength comes from your body's reaction to the stone. That is what I mean you harvest the power unrestrained. Your body understands the structures of chakra now, because it now understands life and life forces. Carbon…water…molecules, atoms…chakra…spirit particles. THAT is what you control, the very basic elements of life."

She lowered her head into her hands. She shouldn't have asked. She should have just somehow ducked the beam. She should have just stayed in Naka…matter of fact, what she SHOULD have done was have taken her work home that night. Her father once told her being a workaholic would bring her grief. Hmph, ornery wise old man. But would that have prevented her troubles, she'd never know. But she knew THIS isn't what she wanted. How in the hells was she supposed to climb the corporate ladder, when every time she felt threatened she could eradicate the whole board room to a pile of molecules. Actually…that didn't sound like a bad idea.

Ulquiorra snapped her out of musing. "You have two options. Adapt or be killed."

Akane's eye flew up to meet steel cold emerald ones. "I'll be damned if anyone…"

"Adapt, then. You will be taken to my wife tomorrow. Right now, we shall go back outside. People were attracted to the blast and have come."

No sooner than the three of them rounded the corner back to the field were the greeted by the half of the residents of Chiyoda. Miroku made his way to the front of the crowd, his eyes as wide as saucers. "What in Buddha's name was that pressure we felt?"

Akane went to open her mouth, but Ulquiorra threw a hand up to silence her before speaking. He noticed a pair of eyes in the trees beyond the field, silencing him with their pointed look. "I apologize for that. I demonstrated a new technique to Akane and lost control. But as you can see, nothing has been damaged." He narrowed his eyes at Miroku, with a promise of a further explanation later. There were too many ears, too many eyes out here to divulging in complete truths. He had a feeling somewhere in this mix of people was a person that was untrustworthy.

Miroku nodded and instantly turned into de facto keeper of the peace as he ushered the inhabitants of the field back towards town. He looked back one last time, nodding at the three that stood there. The one person he could not hold back was the feline. She had felt the pressure of Ulquiorra's Cero, as she has been on the opposite end of his quite a few times. Walking past Miroku's good natured motions in the opposite direction, she paced up to the three remaining, and with a simple cut of her eyes, they followed her. Through various hallways and stairwells, they followed her down three levels of the Taichousen hold until they reached a secured interrogation room.

"A lot of…secret rooms and meetings, here in Chiyoda" Akane mused as she took a seat for the third time today across from someone with something to say.

"I have a feeling I have nothing to explain to you." He peered at her from the corner of his eyes, his hands folded underneath his chin.

She smiled deviously at him. "Can't fool you. I witnessed everything. I always witness everything. That's my job. You can explain later what all that power mumbo jumbo means. But I'm here to tell you that all isn't what it seems within this compound. And you can feel it too, can't you? And after that little firework show, I'm sure I can pinpoint the cause of it all."

She shifted her gaze to the blue hair woman, "You're in danger."

Genma mulled around his chambers, a tense hand firmly attached to the back of a worried head. He'd been pacing the length of his quarters ever since the meeting withdrew. Not even the mild pressure of battle aura drew his attention away from his pacing. A lot of things were beginning to unravel, quickly, and he had not a way in the world to stop them. So many lies, so many untruths and hidden secrets. He'd never thought it would get this big, this out of control. It wasn't enough to destroy him or his family, but it was enough to damage the trust his son had in him. As maladjusted as it was, the trust was a strong link between the two.

At one time, he had a strong link with another man. One he considered to be his closest friend; his brother even. But he hadn't seen that man in years. And it was a terrible lost, almost as if they had pulled his right arm from his body. A man couldn't fight with one arm. He had trained and bettered himself with this man at his side. Yet, there was nothing he could do about it. Even as he stood now, the former price of a mighty clan, and now the Father, overseeing all and knowing all that was Taichousen. In a place of power, but powerless, how sad.

"You're going to wear away the tatami mats with you insistent pacing, idiot."

Genma had to still himself forcefully, his eyes sliding shut in annoyance. He could have sworn he ordered his guards to keep this man away from his quarters.

"Master. "

"Ha!" Happosai gingerly jumped from the windowsill he currently had parked himself within, and paced towards the panda of a man. "That's a better greeting than last time. I should make you bow, but taking a look at those shotty knees of yours, I haven't the time to waste as you mull towards the ground as slowly as you would."

Genma sighed. His master was punishment, he figured, his timing perfect. Only the Kamis would send Hell's angel down to smite him for his sins. Looking down at the smaller man, he decided that if he wanted, he could clobber him against the ground with the heel of his sandal; but then his better judgment kicked in before he did such a thing. He was too young to die, lest at the hands of a hobbit. "How can I help you today, Master?"

"Help me?" Happosai snorted, waddling over now to take a leisurely seat in the large chair that was owned by Genma and typically restricted to Genma's use. "You couldn't help a babe in your state, let alone this old man. You aura is all out of whack. What's bouncing around in that empty head of yours?"

He repeated his sigh. He wanted to retort in jest, but the little midget was right. "I…." His hands fisted tightly at his sides, words failing him.

"I feel it too, Genma. I knew one day all of this would catch up with us. But it wasn't your fault, Soun left. Technically it wasn't his either. He was practically forced. "

Genma's eyes flew towards his master, shock apparent on his face as to how easily he could read him. He looked away, out the window towards the sky. "But I did nothing! I didn't go to him. I didn't try to overrule, find some sort of loophole. I did nothing. I just watched him walk away. He was my brother, my closest friend. All of his service, his loyalty to this clan, his allegiance… and the council just…"

Genma looked at the drooping profile of his student. He too, had felt the harsh pain that came with Soun's judgment. But to go against the council and the community vote was unheard of. The very dismissal of his former student was one of the main reasons he agreed to his stay in Nakofunakata. The politics of this world were very different from those of a martial artist. Words such as loyalty only appealed in a broad sense, as in the loyalty TO your clan, not your clansmen. The judgment here was swift and unfeeling. Cold, hard and unbending. It worked, in most cases, taking the emotions out of the law. But it also hindered in cases such as that one.

Unbeknownst to Genma, after he left Chiyoda, he had checked in on Soun. He had made an outside home with Yuuka, his wife. Happosai always thought her to be a beautiful woman. She had a peculiar color of hair that glinted blue in the light and deep russet brown eyes; soft and nurturing. She also was the keeper of sharp tongue; a beast of wit and intellect. She balanced out Soun's very serious nature quite well. They at the time had three beautiful children. One a toddler, who seemed to match her mother's temperament and energy. The child would grow without knowing the life she could have had but he concluded that Soun had found his happiness after the incident, content with leaving him to be. He had gone there to speak on behalf of the clan, especially for Genma. But when he approached the man, he needed say anything. The pain was there, but so was forgiveness. No anger was to be found in Soun's eyes, and that pleased Happosai greatly.

He had told Genma of Soun's life, how it contrasted greatly to the life he had lived here in Chiyoda, and that it seemed as if Soun had found his happiness. That appeased Genma slightly, but the news years later of Yuuka's death sent Genma back into turmoil. Although he never approached Soun, he found out everything he needed to know about his former friend. Where he lived, how old his daughters were, especially the youngest. Her fate was especially important to him. For years he would send non descript packages of money to the house. But they always found themselves back in Chiyoda; Genma not quite sure how the man knew it was him. Genma resolved to let his friend be and eventually disconnected their lives all together.

But that never stopped Genma from reliving Soun's life in Chiyoda, thinking often of the fonder memories. Under Happosai's tutelage, they honed their skill, both becoming fine masters of the art. Soun was always the more skilled martial artist, always able to concentrate a fair bit more than Genma could. It came natural to him and he was able to pass that knowledge to those in a very special way. Without words. It's no wonder that with Soun's help they both advanced to the Royal Guard in their late teens. Genma knew he couldn't have achieved such an honor without Soun's help and his master's guidance.

There second year as guards, they were both moved to the Taichousen royal hold, watching over the current Prince and his wife. They had no children themselves, but had adopted their younger cousin twice removed into the immediate family. Nodoka was heard of to be very skilled in the art of the sword. She was fabled to have honed her fang to silence as it sliced through the air. But as much as she was known for her swordsmanship, no one other than those closest to her, knew what she looked like. Every public appeared she was always seen with an Uchikatsugi covering her face. She would become their legal heir on her 20th birthday, and the Taichousen Royals took her true identity into secret as a safety precaution.

But the two men happened upon her while she practiced in the garden, uncovered, and Genma was shook to his very core at her beauty. She had the grace of a swan with the fang of a hungry savage wolf. Her battle aura had the sweetest tingle and it took everything in Genma's power not to fall for her right then and there. She noticed him too, and one day asked him to spar with her. "No one around here will do so. They are all predisposed with my safety, so they say. I think they are scared, ne?" Oh, she made him laugh. Soun had urged him to accept her offer, as he could see in Genma's eyes he was a goner for the beauty.

Eventually their sparring sessions turned into something more feral and it became hard for the both of them to hide the flames of their attraction. Thus the highly publicized appeal to the Taichousen council to accept Genma as Nodoka's fiancé. She herself pleaded to the council, pledging to renounce herself if they ruled otherwise. She was nineteen, and with no other heir of age in sight (the next in line was four years old), they accepted Nodoka's offer, only on the condition of Genma's station. They were wed, and Soun became Genma's First Sword.

Life was fine until it wasn't anymore. Until based on his actions, although good in merit, were against Taichousen code and he was forced to leave. They embarrassed the lot of them, Soun, his two daughters Kasumi and Nabiki; who were thankfully too young to know exactly what was going on, other than they were moving to a new home, and Yuuka who was very pregnant with their third child.

"Now, his very daughter is here." Genma drawled, his attention drawn back to his current predicament.

"Yes. Yes she is." Happi said with a frown.

"Under our care, somehow targeted because of our decisions. And she's with Ranma. And they are involved, aren't they? How could this have happened?" Genma slammed his foot down in frustration. _Only if I had kept my tabs current on their situation. This wouldn't…couldn't have happened._ "We have no choice now, but to tell them."

He slumped, taking an immediate seat in the middle of the floor. "This will cause problems. That Amazon and her grandma…"

"Never mind those two, they shall behave. It's Akane and Ranma you should keep focused on." Happosai chuckled, darkly. "How fate plays its strings, eh Genma. Think of what will happen when they find out they used to be betrothed?"

**A/N: Evil laughter and a poof of smoke. **

**Glossy-ary (Because not only is it full of information…it's so fab'u'los..Glossy..get it…okay…nevermind) **

**Uchikatsugi **- is a long veiled headdress once worn by noble women to protect their anonymity.

I think most of my readers have seen **Bleach**, based on the excitement of seeing them show up here. Like I said no crossover. No one is going to Hueco Mundo, Aizen isn't the one behind all of this and this is the real world so no gigai, shinigami or espada will ACTUALLY show up. Don't be scuured LOL.

SMALL BLEACH FAQ ( for thine non Bleach maniacs)

Ulquiorra** and **Yoruichi** are Bleach Characters and are probably the most spiritually powerful people in this fic. In the Bleach Manga, they are natural enemies to each other, so thus the terse relationship between the two. Not angry or hateful, just colorful. ** Sonído**is a****technique****used by****Arrancar****which allows them to move at extreme speeds. Uliq-san is an Arrancar…Espada. (Don't know why I really telling you this LOL, PLEASE go read that manga or watch the Anime. PLEAAAASE? It's awesomeness, I promise) ** Cero** is a technically called a **_**Hollow Flash, **_**s a form of attack used by****Menos****, ****Arrancar****and****Vizard****. As a standard energy blast, it consists of firing a powerful blast of concentrated spiritual energy at the target. Ulquiorra is in ownership of a ****Gran Rey Cero but only used a small percentage of his cero on Akane (in this fic) **

Orihime and Ulquiorra ARE married in this fic. WHY? Because Tite Kubo…*sigh* anyways. Akane's powers do mirror Orihime. Oh! Orihime is a human. O.O. She has magical fairies (six to be exact) that allow her…let me stop. That's for a future chapter.

**A/N Duex: Don't ask me why! I am currently reading two mangas and watching 5 anime concurrently. Let's just hope my brain doesn't explode and Neji and Shikamaru don't show their …wait a minute…*rubs hands together evily…* Ha! Just kidding! **


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: -Walks into the room with chapter update in hand, immediately pelted with tomatoes and rotten fruit.**

** "WAIT! WAIT! I can explain! I know it's been…um…1-2-3 something months since I updated. But I moved to a new city, you see! And I got a new job! And I started listening to this K-Pop and these handsome mengodcreatures got me sidetracked… And…I baked you all cupcakes….but I got hungry…so I ate them. Soooo…."**

**-drops the chapter and runs for it-**

A Delicate Covenant

Out, damn'd spot! out, I say!—One; two: why, then  
'tis time to do't.—Hell is murky.

~Lady Macbeth, Macbeth

She looked down at the white knuckled grip she had around her bon bon. With ease she lifted the weapon above her head, releasing a shrill pitched scream as she smashed a vase in the corner of her luxurious guest suite. As the vase lay in pieces before her, even the remaining fragments incensed her, causing her to repeatedly smash the same spot until there was nothing more of the vase but small unrecognizable rubble. She shifted her gaze looking for something else to sacrifice to her anger, but finding she'd destroyed almost everything in her room, she tossed her weapon out the shoji door, not caring when it landed in the koi pond with a messy splash.

Her lady in waiting peeked in the room to see if it was safe to approach the courtier, who was obviously in a fit of rage over something. It was only when a sake ochoko smashed up against the wall next to the shoji door and a sloppy portion of the rice wine splashed in her face, did she withdraw. Her mistress had been fuming since she returned to her quarters from her lunch with her fiancé, and she had no idea what to do. Leave her alone, she gathered. There was no way she was going to walk into her line of sight with her on the warpath. She slid the door shut and retreated, shooing away the guard who was making his way down the hall (for his own safety, of course).

Shampoo was angry. No, not angry. That was an understatement. She was furious. Beyond furious, and it was taking every ounce of training she had as a lady not to walk across Chiyoda, put Ranma in his place and kill Akane. Kill her dead. The woman had physically done nothing to her, except touch what was hers. And by Amazon law, the blue hair woman HAD to die. Ranma was subject to death too, but because she actually wanted to marry him, she would let his show of weak male pride slide. In reality, this whole situation, this whole scheme was enough to systematically drive her nuts. Everything her grandmother was forcing her to do was clinically insane. All of it; insanity. She had no idea what her grandmother's main objective was, but she was enjoying the part she played in regards to her fiancée immensely. It was the only part she enjoyed.

The one thing that pissed her off was this disregard for her heritage. This submissive little pussycat they'd signed up her to play was blasphemy. She was the head of her household, she made the rules; her word was law. And for her to have to SIT there and let that MAN "put her in her place". She grabbed a pillow, throwing it over her face as she let out an even louder shrill of anger. She'd make them all pay. Grandmother would eventually explain herself, Ranma would learn the way of the Amazon quickly, and then there was Akane.

"Akane die."

oOo

oOo

oOo

Kuno looked up from the couch to see the woman he adored, but secretly wanted to smother with a pillow, sitting in the opposite corner with her head resting on her hand, a look of disdain on her face. He apparently had done "everything like an idiot" since this whole operation "steal Sasuke" started. Mainly she was pissed that they'd gone to his apartment instead of taking him back to her place. More than likely because the brown hair vamp probably had some sort of torture weapon collection and had learn to use them in her Ninja 101 class. Like he'd let her near any of that foolishness while he was on the clock. That wasn't something he could indulge her in. Nabiki and her family were infused into the situation, and as much as Nabiki tried to keep her older sister out of the loop, that didn't mean that she could protect them any better than she could protect herself. From an enemy they probably wouldn't recognize if that enemy came and slapped that frown off her lovely face. No he wasn't risking it, and he wasn't risking her. It was already bad enough he'd put her in harm's way with that Cat Café stunt they just pulled.

The midget man had been asleep for quite some time now. Maybe the dosage of was too much for him. Either way, they needed him to wake up soon, so they could question and return him. Technically they had kidnapped him. Technically they had broken into the Cat Café, because Kuno hadn't thought twice about a search warrant. He had plenty of probable cause, but not a healthy dose of common sense when he had thought of the plan. Shifting, he lifted his leg, and prodded at Sasuke's head. "Morning Sunshine! Time to wake up, now." When the little man didn't move, he kicked a little harder. Well harder than he intended as Sasuke's body rolled with the momentum, right off the bed and onto the floor. His head lifted as soon as he hit the ground, his small covered head peering over the edge of the mattress. It took him all of thirty seconds to process his surroundings, which was easy; they weren't HIS surroundings, before he squeaked and bolted for the door. Without looking up, Nabiki slid her leg out, tripping him effortlessly. Kuno jumped over the couch, and snagged him by the collar, lifting him off the floor.

"And where do you think you're going, hm?" Kuno smirked at him, holding him further away from his body as Sauske started to kick and punch in an effort to free himself. "Keep it up, the only thing you're gonna do is wear yourself out.

"You let me down! You let me down right now! Or I'll! Or I'll…."

"Or you'll do what? You've been unarmed, your body is still weak from the potassium chloride, and you're four feet tall. You'll do nothing but sit here and cooperate. If you do, you'll be outta here as soon as humanly possible."

Sasuke looked around, reassessing his options. There was a woman to the left of him, snarky looking with her hand on her hip, and a cool gaze. The only exit out of the room was the one that this _brute _was standing in front of, and it seemed as if they were some stories up in a condominium complex. He squirmed extra hard just to be on the safe side, but seeing he was securely wrapped up in this situation, literally, he relented. _How do I always manage to BE the shit that hits the fan?_

"What do you want? Why were you in my room? Why am I here? Where am I? Who are you? Who is she? What are you do-" Kuno placed his finger against the man's lips, quelling him midsentence. "You talk entirely too much." He lowered Sasuke onto the couch. "Look. I'mma unhand you. You run and I'll toss you out that window. You may look like a little birdshit, but I doubt you have wings- "

"I could always drink some Red Bu-"

"SHUT. UP." He said, slightly tightening his grip on the man's collar. "This is how it's going to go. I'mma put ya down. You're gonna answer questions that will keep me from punting you into traffic down below, and then we'll take you to some wide open spaces and you go wander off into freedom. We clear?"

Sasuke grumbled but nodded his consent, placing a hand around his raw neck as the man holding him captive let go of his collar. But no sooner than Sasuke could get comfortable with his temporary freedom, did he feel a thud of cold steel lock around his wrist. He watched in contempt as the handcuff snapped closed and he was chained to the steel water pipe running from the ceiling to the floor.

"Now." Kuno took a seat next to Sasuke, and clapped him heavily on the back with a smile. "Let's start this. What's your name?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I'm pretty sure you know that already. I HIGHLY doubt you kidnapped me without knowing who I actually was. You know my name. Next question."

Kuno raised an eyebrow. "I don't remember giving you an option to pass on questions. I'll let that one slide though, but don't get too bold. What's your connection to the Masura?"

He pulled against his restraints just for good measure. Sasuke always had a hard time accepting his circumstances; the light bulb always took a second to go off. He smirked. "Ah, no foreplay, no lube, just straight to the point? Is that how you handle the little miss in the corner? No wonder she looks like she has a stick up her ass….wrong stick though…"

Kuno froze instantly, not out of anger. He'd dealt with bigger idiots in colder and darker interrogation rooms. Nabiki on the other hand….

"What the hell did you just say you little shitbrain?" Before Sasuke could even blink Nabiki was mere inches from him, clouds of rage puffing out of her nostrils. Her eyes spoke of unspeakable danger. "What you'll want to do is answer the damn question! I don't have time for you to sit here and be cute. I'll have you carved up and wearing your skin like my name was Buffalo Bill, you got that!" She smacked him upside the head, hard. "Answer the question! "

Kuno smiled brightly at Sasuke. "Hungry?" and before Sasuke could supply an answer, he'd grabbed Nabiki by the arm and carted her off to the kitchen. Once inside she snatched her arm away from his, and marched to the refrigerator, grabbing a beer. Kuno watched as the "lady" guzzled the whole beer down before slamming her fist down on the counter.

"Okay. So now that I see you're in a "reasonable" state, you want to tell me what that was?"

"Fuck off, Tatewaki. I'm not going to sit around and pussyfoot with the midget, while my sister is out there doing Kami knows what and you're sitting in here sightseeing on HER time. I'm going to go in there and BEAT the truth AND the shit outta him for even being involved in this. "She turned on her heels to leave the kitchen, the same way she entered (angrily), but Kuno caught her around the waist. "Koshii…please."

"Please what!" She furiously whispered back to him. She felt his grip tighten as he pulled her into his embrace and a brush of warm as he sighed behind her. "I know what I'm doing 'Biki. You have to trust me. You trust me don't you?" When she said nothing, he slowly turned her around to face him. "Even if you don't trust me, you HAVE to trust me. I know that doesn't make any sense, but this is my job. I do this every day. Right now, I've disregarded all of the rules for this one. All of my cases for this one. "

Nabiki's brows lowered into a frown. "She isn't a case, Tatewaki. She is my sister."

He released her to rub his frustrated hands over his face. "I KNOW that, Nabiki. I KNOW that. I care about Akane just as much as you do. I'm doing everything I know how to, I'm using every resource and dirty deal and backward sleazy informant I can dig up. But I can't afford to "care" emotionally right now. It clouds my judgment. I'd love to walk in there and bash his head open, but I can't do that…YOU can't do that."

She turned her head dejectedly, a slight pout pulling at her bottom lip. "I just…I'm supposed to be strong one. I'm supposed to be the one who figures it out, figures everything out. I put food on the table; I kept a roof over our heads. I was supposed to keep them…to keep her safe. And look what happened. I haven't seen my baby sister in …I don't even know how many days. What kind of sister am I? What good am I, if I couldn't….shit." Nabiki released a shaky breath.

"Nabiki. You are the strongest woman I know. Even now, I can see the tears, even if they aren't in your eyes." He softly grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him. "But, what I'm telling you is, what I've been trying to tell you since the day I kissed these very cute lips of yours is…you don't HAVE to be strong alone. For the love of everything, lean on me. Let me protect **you**. PLEASE."

Nabiki remained stubborn. "Why are we having this conversation? Why are you doing this?"

"Because I want you to understand for once. Stop being so damn hard headed." Nabiki lips turned up slightly at the ends. She reached for his head and softly clunked hers up against his. "But, you see…it is hard. I can't help it." She kissed his nose, and closed her eyes. Sighing heavily, she relented, "Look at me, Kuno. I'm stepping back, just one step, because I DO trust you. I know I don't…do these mushy emotion things very well…but…you know me so…"

"Yeah. I do." He laughed softly, before setting her upright. "Stay in here for a few more minutes and collect yourself. I'll go sort Sasuke out myself." Nabiki offered him a two fingered salute, watching him head for the living room before reaching into the fridge to grab another beer.

Kuno for the most part, was reasonable, but just as he'd explained to Nabiki, he cared for Akane, and if this man had answers, he damn sure was going to get them out of him. As he approached Sasuke in the living room, who had decided it was perfectly okay to prop his short legs on top of Kuno's very expensive coffee table, he almost snapped.

Forcefully knocking Sasuke's feet off his table before he snapped both of his legs, he glared at him. "Alright, you pissed off Mama Bear. She wanted to come in here and tear your head from your shoulders, but I calmed her down. Problem is, if you DON'T answer my questions, she is in there getting liquored up, so I won't be able to stop her if she decides she wants to play soccer with your skull, got me dude?

Sasuke straightened up immediately. "Ten-four. Women are crazy. Just days ago, a woman literally punted me across a dining room table…"

Kuno looked shocked for a second before he pulled out a pad and pencil from his pocket. "Now before, what is your connection to that Masura clan? Matter of fact, what is your connection with Kodachi Kuno? "

"My clan, my boss." Sasuke shrugged. "Next question, boss." Kuno inhaled deeply fighting with his patience. "Kodachi is your boss? Does she have some kind of standing in the Masura clan?"

"Temporarily. She and I were brought in from the outside, along with four other people. Two of them seemed to be missing in action, though. Taro and Anzu. Simply putting it, we have temporary access to the Masura clan, and after our job is done, we won't have access anymore."

"Why were you hired then? We're talking a high level crime syndicate. They don't just hire people, show them locations, give them access to secrets and then let them leisurely walk away..."

"Hey, I don't handle that part. Plus we didn't get that much information anyways; Kodachi handles all the "boss" stuff. She just tells us where to go, and where to be. Hell, the twins have more information than I do. You're probably wasting your time with me, man. "

"No. You're going to give me every lick of information you have, if you're smart." Kuno grabbed a file. "Yangupawa". What is it? Connections with Douchler, what are they. Kodachi's boss? Who are they? All of this. Answer it. Now."

Sauske rolled his eyes. "Don't know, don't know, and uh, don't know. Do I LOOK like I would be privy to information such as that? You're sniffing up the wrong dog's ass here, my friend." Kuno growled at him, before shoving the file in Sasuke's face. Sauske crossed his arms and glared Kuno in the face. "I-DON'T-HAVE-THE-ANSWERS-YOU-WANT!"

Nabiki listened intently from her post in the kitchen. Seems Kuno was getting nowhere, in a very short minute, she'd have to march out there and pull the guy's brains out through his nose if he didn't start giving them SOMETHING. But amazingly, short of the violence and the very unofficial law breaking, this whole situation reminded her that she had a whole other sister who she hadn't spoken to in days. For all she knew, Kasumi was back at home losing her head. Wait, it was Kasumi she was talking about. But still.

Picking up the phone she punched in Kasumi's phone number, waiting for her older sister to pick up. She instantly regretted the decision as she had to pull the receiver from her ear.

"NABIKI! Where have you been! Don't you know I've been worried sick about you! And your father! Our poor poor father! He's already has been worried sick about Akane not coming home to visit! The least you could have done was-"

"Kas! Hell, turn the volume down on your speakerbox woman! I can hear you just fine!"

"Ooooh! Oh you think I'm being loud now, you just wait! You just wait until you get your ass back into this house! Do you know how-"

"-Worried about me, you've been? Yeah. Yeah. GOT IT. Wait, did you just curse?" Nabiki sighed. Kasumi had raised her voice, which meant she wasn't actually mad. She had never seen Kasumi mad. She had, however, started receiving this eerily calm smile when someone raised dissent to her wishes. But I think she'd learn that from Tofu's mentor Retsu. That was as close to mad as Kasumi got. This display of loudness was just Kasumi's stress showing and for that Nabiki was sorry. "Anyways, I called because…" At that moment the doorbell rang. She leaned around the corner to look at Kuno, who was obviously still trying to pry information for Sasuke. He turned towards her and nodded towards the stairs. Shrugging, she began towards the lower level where the front door was.

"Oh! That reminds me, Nabiki! Some lady called here looking for you! Says she ran into you last night at the Cat Café. I was surprised because that didn't seem like a place you would visit, but she described you right down to that little smirk of yours."

Nabiki mouth dropped open; her heart began to thud so loud she swore her sister could hear it through the phone. "D-D-Did she now? Last night, eh?"

"Yep! I gave her your cell phone number so she could reach you, so expect a call very soon!" There was a yelp, and then a deeper masculine voice in the background. "I have to go Nabiki, I'm burning my husband's breakfast. Oh yeah. COME HOME. I would like to have some information. I know you're out there playing detective with Kuno. Be safe, Nabiki. Come home soon." Then a click before Nabiki could finish her statement. A beep in her ear caused her to look down at her phone again, wondering what this new indicator on her phone was about. She'd never seen it before.

Still wrapped up in the words her sister left her with, she swung the door open, hoping it wasn't something that was going to annoy her. She had bigger things to deal with other than an overzealous salesperson.

_Damn it, Nabiki. _

Well, a few things were apparent as she stared at the three sets of very not friendly eyes staring at her, while pointing very unfriendly weapons in her direction.

She needed more ninja lessons.

They had been seen, and knew where she lived, her family live, and they had probably followed her to this very location.

Apparently she needed to have connected those conclusions with her sister's words about 15 seconds ago.

The tallest of the three, a very elegant looking woman wrapped in fur and cashmere, smiled in a calculating way before asking. "Nabiki Tendo, I presume?"

oOo

oOo

oOo

She shifted her gaze to the blue hair woman, "You're in danger."

Akane rolled her eyes for what seemed to be the hundredth time since she looked up and realized on that fateful day her computer flashed that error message. "I've been in danger the entire time, Ms. Yoruichi. Is there a NEW reason that I'm in danger, or is this just a remix of the current danger I'm in?"

As if Akane's eye roll was contagious, Yoruichi shot hers heavenward as well. "Didn't you hear me? Not from some kind of mystic mysterious woman that wants you out of the way so she can claim Ranma. You're in danger for some mystic mysterious person that wants you out of the way, simply to have you out of the way. And my feelers are telling me the source of that is originating from INSIDE of Chiyoda, not from the outside."

Ranma peered from across the table at the feline. "What do you mean from inside. Unless you're talking the Kuno's. They have been cleared from any connections from Kodachi. She's rouge; they don't support her methods on…well…anything."

"And you think just because the Kuno's main house doesn't support their monarch, that she didn't have followers, servants, guards, anybody she was close to actually working for her? It could be anybody. Hell, I'm not even a 100 percent on Taro and he turned himself IN. I'm watching every member of that house right now."

"That's going to cause some problems with diplomacy isn't it, Yoruichi." Ranma shot a glance over to Akane, but she seemed to be taking the news with a rather nonplussed air. "Wouldn't it be wise to conduct a formal investigation with the house's consent and cooperation? I'm sure if they'd cut ties with their daughter, they'd have no problem helping us sniff out a common rat."

The feline smirked at the young man. "Hmmm. Very wise indeed. Diplomacy hasn't always been my strong point, more of a hide in the shadows type of gal." She nodded. "I'll take it up with your father. He's had the same concerns. Of course, I'll have to debrief The O' exalted stumpy one, but we'll come up with some plan on how to deal with it. For now I need you to, just for a couple of days, get Akane OUT of Chiyoda."

Ulquiorra stiffly replied. "That won't be a problem. I am taking the woman to see my wife. It is in regards to the Inoc-"

"Aye buddy, don't care because I won't understand anything you say, especially when you explain it so "enthusiastically" She grinned when Ulquiorra raised a stiff eyebrow in her direction. "You and Orihime still live in the Chiyodian Hills?" Ulquiorra nodded. "Good, that is far enough away that Akane will be removed from this and close enough that I can get to you. You'll leave as soon as possible. You can take Ryoga and Uyko. I'm sure since Akane has made friends with the Takahashi's they'll want to go, but they can't. Inuyasha doesn't know a damn thing about quiet or secret or 'get down so they can't see you.'" She turned to Ulquiorra. "You'll guide them and remain with them until it is safe to return, correct?"

A smile ghosted across Ulquiorra's lips for a second before it was gone. "My wife would enjoy my presence for an extended amount of time. That is adequate. The Chiyodian Hills are accessible from the main roads, but since we want to be as secretive as possible, we'll walk the half day's journey using a back road and the cover of night to aid us."

Akane groaned. To tell the truth, in the short amount of time she'd been here, she secretly enjoyed the pampering and the quiet and seemingly safe environment of Chiyoda. Now they were sending her back out into the wilderness for her own good. If she never saw a tree, or a rock, that wasn't within reaching distance of indoor plumbing she would scream Bloody Mary until she fainted.

Preparations to leave were done quietly, as most of the attention that Akane's blast had died down and people had gone back to living their regular lives, practically ignoring everybody else. The five of them left with minimal supplies, as there were plenty of clothing and food at their destination. The half day walk went smoothly, the lot of them showing up slightly exhausted but relived to have made it. Ulquiorra's home was quiet, which made sense when you thought about the type of man that lived there. It was a large multi-leveled house sitting at the base of a hill, surrounded by a garden, and a freshwater pond. Despite the colder weather, some of the flowers remained in bloom, which also seemed to glow under the light of the moon. The foyer of the house was warm, opening up to a large reading room, and an even larger living room. Accents of hibiscus flowers dominated the interior's design.

"My wife loves flowers…my wife loves a lot of things actually." Ranma, Ryoga and Ukyo chuckled at his comments, while Akane just smiled politely. "Well you have a beautiful home, Ulquiorra. I thank you for housing us." Ulquiorra nodded as he ushered them deeper into the house. "Later on after dinner, I'll show you to our rooms."

Again, Akane afforded him her most polite smile. "Again thank you. This is so short notice, hope we don't take over your house." Looking around she turned back to Ulquiorra. "By chance is your wife home? I would like to thank her as well for her kindness."

"I phoned home earlier, so she knows of your presence as guest. I'll just go upstairs and-"

Before the elegantly stiff man could finish his sentence, thunderous footsteps could be heard in quick succession as someone or someTHING made its way down the stairs. Rounding the corner and in a whir of color and fragrance, Orihime threw herself in her husband's arms, temporarily forgetting the guest she was housing. "Ulqui-honey!" She rained kisses on his face, ignoring the fact that his face was contorted and frozen, his eyes locked on the four standing near him.

"I got your message! I didn't know you'd be home so soon! I would have finished dinner by now! I wanted it to be a surprise! Ano, now that you're here I'll just tell you. I made kimchi stew with beef! But I ran out of cabbage so I used sliced apples instead because they were green. It's a vegetable right? I know that's your favorite and for dessert black bean paste and chicken liver sherbet! Oh my gooooosh, it's so yummy! Come and taste it! I know you must be famished. Ano, you're the strongest man I know, you are probably-"

"Woman." Smiling as sweetly as Ulquiorra could manage (which looked very painful), he grabbed her head gently in his hands and turned it away from his face and towards the four guest, which one of them was green after her hearing what she was going to be fed for dinner.

Orihime blinked a few times before she squealed delightfully. "Oh! I'm sorry! I didn't see you guys!" Jumping from Ulquiorra's arms, she ran to her guest, bowing very deeply. "Ano, you must excuse me, I get excited easily." She scratched the back of her head. "I'm Orihime, and I live here and um…." Akane quickly stepped in, intrigued by the woman that was supposedly like her, but apparently NOTHING like her. Full of spirit and sweetness, she appeared to Akane like a hyperactive doe, wide eye and curious but very friendly. "I wanted to thank you for letting us stay here, it was very-"

Suddenly Orihime stopped smiling as she looked at Akane very strangely. Silently she raised a single finger to Akane's forehead. Her brows bunched in concentration, and a quiet hum could be heard. Akane opened her mouth to say something when a flash of images ran through her mind and a soft warm feeling hit her core. She couldn't help but smile, the warmness spreading through her. Then it was done. Not realizing she'd closed her eyes, she opened one slowly to peek around. What she saw though, instead of Orihime's concentrated look, was the ceiling. _Always a damn ceiling. I'd be happy if I never saw another ceiling in my entire life. They are like the harbingers of death where I'm concerned. _She made to sit up, but pain hit her sharply and she called out. Ranma and Ukyo hurried to her side, Ukyo earning a glare when she reached the bedside first.

"Akane, honey! We're glad you're alright!" She placed a worried hand up against Akane's forehead and then the side of her neck. "Well you're not burning up anymore. That's good! Are you thirsty? Hungry?"

Everything the brown haired woman was saying to her sounded foreign. "Wait…what? Hold on. What?" She sighed. "Okay, first thing first. Why am I in this bed, where am I…is it morning outside? The moon was just…." Akane quelled her speech and just frowned at her own confusion. Ukyo grinned at her. "Slow down, babe. I can't tell you much. All we know is, that Orihime woman played tic-tac-toe on your forehead and you passed out with the goofiest smile known to mankind on your face. You _were_ running a slight fever but we didn't know what to do since that silly ass grin was still on your face." Inching closer to Akane's ear "Looked like one of those 'well he rocked my socks right off' kind of smiles. Don't know what you were thinking about but it would be okay if you were imaging what Ra-"

"NO! You ninny! No!" Akane rolled her eyes, before trying to sit up again. "Smile? I mean, I felt warm and fuzzy for a second, but that doesn't explain why apparently I've been out cold for the better half of "too damn long" and why I fainted or whatever in the first place. Can someone go get someone who can explain what in the hellfire and brimstone is happening?"

"That's the thing. She's upstairs and specifically requested that you meet her upstairs. She said that she needed to show you…show us something." Ranma shooed Ukyo out of the way, and reached for Akane's hand. She hastily pulled her hand away, looking away as she did. Something unreadable clouded over Ranma's features for a second then they were gone. "Anyway, are you okay to go upstairs? She's in her study."

"Don't have that much of a choice, do I?" Sighing she swung her feet over the bed, only to be scooped up by Ranma. She made to protest, but the look on his face said that objection would be overruled. Still she lay stubbornly in his arms as the four of them made their way towards their destination. His grip was tight but embrace was tender, which did nothing to fortify the very tall and very thick wall she was building around her heart. Nothing had changed, this situation here proving it. Statistically, meeting Ranma had been the worst mistake of her life. Regardless of how good he had made her feel, what she felt now in regards to him stung and it tasted of bitterness. She had fallen in a hole that neither of them could help her out of. The fact that he belong to someone else meant he couldn't even throw a lifeline her way. So she sat, alone and hurt. It had only been a day since she found out, yet it felt like it had been years. Every moment she had to herself, her grievances with it all just bounced around in her head, echoing the foolishness of falling for something she couldn't keep.

So no, she didn't want him near. She didn't want to have to depend on him, or his family, or his friends. But her she was, about to discover more about herself that would probably strengthen the ties she had to these people. These people that she cared for, but these people, this person, this world, this life she could never had.

Ranma interrupted her thoughts, thankfully, since they'd taken a very ugly and pessimistic, yet truthful turn. "Akane, are you okay?"

The corner of her mouth lifted slightly. "Yeah, nothing a bottle of Jack couldn't fix." Before she could add, they happened upon the door at the top of the stairs. "Ah! No need to knock! The door is open, just slide the latch open!"

"You can actually HEAR the smile in her voice when she speaks. That is spooky." Ukyo stated. Ryoga snorted. "And we can hear the smart ass scowl in your voice when YOU talk my sweet. It's not that uncommon." She took a moment to glare over her shoulder at him. "So apparently someone here wants his balls to match Akane's hair here soon."

Shaking his head at the two, he made his way through the threshold of the room. He heard a small gasp from the woman in his arms, but one escaped his lips a second later. The room was huge, shooting up at least two stories. The walls were lined with bookshelves that reached the ceiling, with one very large window just as tall. It was warm atmosphere, made up mostly of rich maple woods and leather-bound books. Lights hung low from a long wire from the ceiling, and skylights added additional lighting to the study. The center of the room however, was perplexing. Surrounded by four stone columns that also stretched to the ceiling, laid a slightly padded center rounded off four more stone columns that look to reach about shoulder height. The tops of each column had a symbol engraved into it.

"HALLLLOOO there, everybody!" The four of them looked around trying to locate the position of the voice. Before any of them could react, a body dropped from above them to the center of the room, hard. "Whoooa. Teehee! Haven't done that in a long time. A bit rusty, I see!" Turning to her guest and noticing Akane, who was still in Ranma arms, she squeaked. Rushing to her, she grabbed her hand, shaking it furiously. "I am SOOO sorry! Did I hurt you earlier! I didn't mean it! Well I did, but I didn't think you'd faint. "

Akane blushed at the girl's energy. "Well I'm quite use to fainting for unknown reasons. It seems to be happening more often now a day, so don't worry about it." She slid down out of the death grip Ranma had her in to stand on her own. "But I'm gathering you brought us up here to explain WHAT exactly happened, since I'm completely lost."

"Ano, I'd be lost too! But yes, you are correct my dear! That was just me testing your connection, thus the smiling and the fainting. Sorry I did it so suddenly. It just felt like a good time to do it." She said sheepishly. Looking around, she pointed around the room. "Everyone, find a place to sit, anywhere is fine. This is…complex, so get comfy." As they did what she asked, she picked up a book from one of the many shelves lining the walls. It was thick, covered in deep purple almost black leather. With her tongue sticking out the side of her mouth, she thumbed through the pages until she landed on one in particular. "Ah! Found it. So my dear, what has my better half told you about you, me and these stones, eh?"

All eyes fell on her, so Akane cleared her throat. "The short of the long? I'm a descendant from a goddess, who shines down on the royal house or some fidder fodder like that. I have the ability to control life's particles and apparently because of a stone my mother gave me, I can glow and blow up things."

"Fidder fodder? Hmm. Well, I'll need to you to listen closely because this is who you are Akane. There isn't anything you can do to change it now. You'd eventually found out about this anyway, because it was your mother's wish."

Complete confusion lit up Akane's face at the mention of her mother from Orihime. "You….my mo…you know about my mother?"

"I KNEW your mother, Akane. She trained me." Turning a few more pages in the book before her, she stopped at a page. Satisfied, she placed the book down in front of Akane. "Yuuka."

For a long silent moment, Akane did nothing but look at the page. Her hair was lighter than she remembered, and her smile not as kind as she remembered, more of the smirk that Nabiki was prone to make. But her skin and her eyes, still as flawless and as magnificent as the only visual memory Akane had of her mother. With trembling fingers, Akane reached out and touched the picture as if she were touching her mother herself. Blinking back tears, she softly whispered her mother's name.

"Your mother was Yuuka. Because we are a family of sorts, we often called each other nicknames. Her name within these four walls was Charisma. It's an English word for charm, I believe. And she was a very charming lady, Akane. Every Inochi alive today, was very fond of her. She herself was a direct host, such as I am. She taught me how to hone my skills as a host and because of her I am in complete control of my powers. I miss her dearly…but probably not as much as you do." Orihime stated softly.

"She taught you? She came here? A direct host….what does that all mean?" Akane still hadn't lifted her gaze from the page that held her mother's lively picture. It wasn't until she looked further down that she noticed the jeweled rock around her mother's neck. She ran her finger across it.

"First things first. The same stone that is around your neck right now Akane, is the same jewel your mother wore. Why does it look different? Because you aren't completely hosted and the jewel is reverting back to the state its host is in. You are like a baby with your powers, thus your stone is too. Eventually your stone will become crystallized too. "

"As my husband told you, The Inochi are a clan of females that are directly descended from the Goddess Amaterasu,and with this lineage we have a direct connection with the Royal Imperial House. We serve Imperial Swords over healers to only them. As of today, there are only twenty of us, but the number has always been small. But out of these twenty Inochi, only a handful are direct host. Yuuka was one, I am one, and so are you Akane. While others can weld the power of the Yangupawa, you and I ARE Yangupawa. "

She glanced over to Ranma. "Our Taichousen heir here, has been trying to harvest the power that our clan posses as a means for greater good. But that is simply him understanding what the stone does, and applying science to it. The scale at which it works is 1/100th of the power you posses as a direct host."

Ranma scratched his head boyishly. "If we can figure out how to manifest it, we could end up helping a lot of people with its powers, so to speak."

Akane took a moment to finally look up from the page. "These powers you keep speaking of. If my mother was a direct host, how did I become the host?"

Orihime lost her smile for a second, before smiling abruptly again. Not answering Akane's question, she instead reached behind her, pulling forth a very familiar jeweled box. "Seen this before?" She pulled out the exact crystallized black tourmaline that she had seen Ulquiorra with earlier today. "This is what I mean by direct host."

Orihime stood with the crystal, rolling it around in her hand. Straightening her back, she laid her hand flat. As she closed her eyes, an orange light emitted from the palm of her hand and the crystal began to levitate from the center of her palm, the light cushioning it. Lifting her hand above her head, everyone watch in awe as the woman's pale skin began to darken to a very exotic tanned appearance and strange writing appeared down the side of her face. Soon the orange light radiated all around Orihime, her hair wisping around in the current of her power as she opened her mouth to whisper. "Invoke. Hatsudo"

The room filled with light and a second later, all of the light disappeared leaving the room just as dim as it was before Orihime began. The four of them waited for the eyes to adjust to the darkness of the room again, only then noticing a smiling Orihime. She looked as if she did before, no strange writing, although she still appeared slightly tanned. But no glowing, no vacant look in her eyes. Nothing. Orihime smiled. "Cool huh?"

Ryoga, Ukyo, Ranma and Akane just stared in her direction, mouths gaped and squinted confused eyes for a mere second before Orihime was slammed with question after question, all at once.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT LIGHT?"

"I wish somebody would tell me what the hell is actually going on!"

"Holy shit, you glowed like Akane did! Where did your glow thing go?"

"Wait a damn minute, where is the crystal?"

Orihime shouted! "Ah! Who asked that! "

Ukyo squint her eyes further as the confusion grew. "Who asked what, lady?"

Orihime rolled her eyes, and pointed to the four of them. "Who asked where the crystal went? Keh, doesn't matter who asked. But that was the single question that NEEDED to be asked." She flopped back down again, which caused all four of her guest eyes to widen to the size of saucers. Orihime smacked her head. "Oh! Heehee. Forgot about that." She then proceeded to move her arms about in crazed circles. "That blur, which follows my movements like that? Essence trail. I can't tell you WHY that happens, it just does. But it only manifests itself when you are completely hosted with the crystal."

Akane sighed rather loudly. "Okay, so that I can start having more answers than questions. I'm gathering by one, when you say completely hosted with the crystal, that would answer why or perhaps WHERE the crystal is?"

"You're such a smart girl, I'm glad you're one of us!" Orihime said with a bright smile. "When you are completely hosted, you spiritually one with your crystal. When you invoke the crystals power as a direct host, you PHYSICALLY become one with the crystal. Everything has changed; the physical make up of my body has now been altered to accommodate the presence of the black tourmaline crystal. The tanned skinned, even the glow is the body accepting. If you were to cut me this very instant, the blood in my body would actually be sparkly.

Ryoga gasped, as his mouth fell completely open. "Like GLITTER?" He was horrified.

Orihime outright laughed. "Shimmer would have been a more appropriate word. When I "power down" the crystal figuratively subtracts itself from the body, mucho gracias de nada, you have your crystal back and …yeah. You know, normal time again."

Akane briefly wondered if the house was stocked with any kind of liquid happiness a.k.a alcohol.

The orange haired woman recognized the look on Akane's face as pure panic, and rushed to reassure her. "Akane. Sleep on it, my love. I'm essentially telling you what I was taught in 10 years, in the span of an hour. Tomorrow, I'll show you what we need to do to get you completely hosted." Her eyes softened "and take that book with you. It's yours. It was your mother's personally. Her notes are all over the damn thing and her daily log for YEARS. But if you want to know anything about her, just come to me. I have a million stories. A million. And I'll share every last one of them with you."

"Could you explain just ONE thing to me, right now?" Orihime nodded happily. "

Akane looked down at her mother's picture. She bit her lip, wondering if she wanted to really know this. Sometimes fantasy is better than reality. Nonetheless, she straightened her back and looked Orihime in the eyes. "….Did my mother die because of this?"

Orihime's eyes lit up from shock before a troubled look crossed her face. She looked hesitant to answer the question, but the steady gaze from Akane allowed her to realize she didn't have a choice. "Ummm..." Sighing, she walked closer until she was able to reach down and grab Akane's hands. "When your mother was pregnant with you, she recognized her crystal would try to sync with you. Your mother was very happy with this, as the crystal did not recognize your two older sisters. Apparently, we thought that when you were born, you'd have a higher percentage of syncing with you own stone. See we'd never had a direct host that was the offspring of a direct host. When you were born, though, HER stone claimed you as its host and left your mother un-hosted." Orihime looked around. "Are you sure you want me to tell you? Wouldn't this be better to come from your father?

"Lady, I'm 27 years old. If he hasn't told me yet, he never planned on telling me. YOU, tell me. Now." Her hands were trembling at her side, but the look of determination to hear this out never left Akane's face once. Ranma placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, which she hadn't the strength to deny.

Orihime sighed, before touching Akane's cheek motherly. "Your mother's body was dependent on her crystal after more than 30 years of being directly hosted with it. Slowly her body shut down without constant contact with it. For a while being around you every day was enough to sustain her. But eventually that wasn't enough. Then one day…"

Akane's eyes slid close as the realization of a truth, she'd never known, but couldn't deny hit her like a million points of pain.

She was directly responsible for her mother's death. She killed her mother.

**A/N: Poor Akane. I'm thinking of changing this to angst instead of romance/adventure. She's just….*single tear*. It's going to get better, my love. I promise. How can I promise such a thing? I'm the author. I CREATED THIS VERSION OF YOU O.O. *smiles* **

**Oh this Orihime is an older, yet still kooky, version of her. I just needed someplace to throw her in my life where she wasn't a complete mess. No offense Kubo. As you can see, she's still with the strange dishes. I'm sure there is more to be said but I have another round of your cupcakes to make then eat: D Love you all! **


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Do any of you guys watch KDramas or JDramas? These things are taking over my life. I'll have to write one on Dream High or My Girlfriend is a Gumiho. They are very very good. I cried. I laughed. I ate popcorn. **

**Sorry. Off topic. So. Yeah. This chapter is cool. I wrote it fairly quick because I had been mapping out and fact checking my down doggone story against itself. I don't want anybody, least of all me, scratching my head when they read it . Hopefully I can start spitting them out since I know what direction it's going in now! Yeah! **

**Thanks for sticking in! I love you guys lots and lots and lots and lots with lots on top! **

A Delicate Covenant

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.

~ Marcellus:

Yuuka stared out in the night, trying to number the stars, losing count then starting over. She's been out here for hours. "36….38…37." She growled, finally giving up the hopeless task of personalizing the sky. Placing her lovely face in her upturned palm, she turned her attention to the lake before her. This lake was her solitude and her peace, and with a sigh, she realized it would be the last time she'd have the chance to sit in front of it, collecting her thoughts in silence, where no one would dare bother her.

Picking a rock up, she threw it into the lake watching it rippled, watching it change. Change. How relevant. Her life as she knew it was changing forever. It many ways she always knew it would change, she realized that the day that she had Kasumi. With each birth, life changed for her. She welcomed it, just like she welcomed the birth of Nabiki and….

She looked back to the house behind her. Inside one of those rooms was her youngest daughter. Only a few months old, showing vast amounts of promise and power. A power she willingly handed over to her daughter. How she planned on wielding it seemed to be what was troubling her. Her jewel had rejected her as an owner and chose a new home in her daughter. And because of that, she felt herself weakening. Snorting, she rolled her eyes. "Stupid rock….I forgot how you lent me your strength over these years. My frail body is recoiling. Eh. I'll get stronger again, I hope. At least you chose a good person to abandon me for."

But this would be good, for her house and her clan. Her daughter, because of her husband's strong connection with the Prince of Taichousen, would become their next princess when she was of age. The young heir to the throne had literally chosen his bride, walking up to Yuuka and hugging her swollen belly. He had turned to his mother, his chubby fingers pointing towards Yuuka's middle where Akane rested and said "Can I have it?" The Princess laughed and smiled at Yuuka, while her husband and his First Sword smiled knowingly.

Yuuka's smiled faltered when she thought about their current situation. "Oh, right…that was months ago. Things have changed."

_Her husband Soun, Kami's bless his loyal and good heart, had been put on trial for treason. He had chosen to protect his comrades in an ambush, leaving his post as First Sword, and subsequently breaking code. The Council cared not that he was given permission by the very person he was protecting to do so. The two men, Soun and Genma, were used to being fighters, and Genma was not yet used to being "protected", lived by a completely different code when in combat. They were warriors and watching each other's backs is what warriors do. Of course, he'd give Soun the right to go protect their men. While Soun was being praised for singlehandedly rescuing the men, when word got back that he'd abandoned his post at Genma side, __Bishamon, one of the newest members of the council, had a conniption._

_When debriefed, he called for Soun's head. The Council balked at his suggestion, stating it would be ridiculous to execute a hero who just saved the lives of fellow Chiyodians. At this Bishamon, pulled out the oldest Book of Law the Taichousen's library held. Stating a law that linked Soun's actions with direct high treason, he held the council directly responsible for the matter._

"_To disregard the law of this clan will fall directly on your heads! Think of the outcome if word got out that we allowed this man to so conveniently break the law at his own whim. How will it get out, you say? I'll make it known that the council ruled in favor of criminality. Do you want every criminal, we held accountable for his or her actions, to feel the need for a retrial?"_

_Genma stood up abruptly, knocking his chair back in the process. "One of those men was your nephew, Bishamon! How could you even THINK to try a man who saved the life of your own blood? And you want him put on trial for high treason? That is an automatic death sentence! Have you lost your mind?"_

_Bishamon blanched a little, not used to the Prince's anger being directed towards him. Still, he knew that in order for the plan to work, he'd have to use this opportunity, no matter how hypocritical and heartless it made him appear. Clearing his throat, he straightened his back to continue. "I admit, the punishment does not exactly fit Soun's crime, but he must be held accountable for his actions! You, your Majesty could have been hurt, Heaven forbid, KILLED due to his actions! You can't just believe I am going to sit here and…_

"_You forget, Bishamon. I am a trained and seasoned warrior and was so LONG before I took this station. I ALLOWED Soun to go back. As Commanding Officer, I have that right."_

"_For anybody, OTHER than Your First Sword. He serves you AND this clan simultaneously. He protects you by order of the Council, not by order of YOU, your majesty. Bishamon has a point." Issendai, the lone councilwoman, save the Princess, spoke up. "It will speak of favoritism if we were to let this…situation go unpunished." Issendai sighed. She was beginning to see why Bishamon was elected to Council, but it didn't stop the inkling of displeasure of having to see him every time they met. He lacked the compassion that came with years of being a member of this council. Nonetheless, he was correct, and she was upset that he was. _

_Taking the book from Bishamon, she scanned the law, over and over again. "What we can do, is look into this law studiously, and decide Soun's fate. I pray," she eyed each one carefully, "that you understand the gravity of this situation. We are voting on the fate of a hero. Depending on our decision, we will have to look the Mothers, the Fathers, the children this man saved, and tell them that he should have done otherwise. I say we take a day or two and figure out what we would want to be told ourselves." _

_At the conclusion of the meeting, Genma stormed out of the chamber, followed closely by Nodoka. The man's rage had him knocking down whatever he came in contact with, inanimate object or person, on his arrow like storm to his personal wing. As he entered, he yelled for the servants to leave immediately and collapsed to his knees in a fit of anger. His wife quietly closed the doors behind him, carefully approaching him as if he were a rabid dog. Lightly she placed a hand on his shoulder, kneeling to meet him on the floor. _

"_Genma…honey."_

"_They want me to look that man in the eye, my best fucking friend, and tell him he should be punished for his actions. What GOOD is this station, these clothes, this house, EVERYTHING, if I can protect him? Damn it Nodoka! He is like my brother. The only brother I have in this godforsaken hellhole. I'd give my right arm, to protect his life."_

_Nodoka sighed, taking her husband's trembling hand into her lap. "The life of a monarch is a road that is often lonely, and full of decisions that bring nothing but despair. I know that better than anyone. But…" reaching over to take her husband's face, forcing him to look at her, "This isn't without hope, my love. We will find a way to save his life. That I promise you. If we have to abandon our ruling seats and run off with him, we will save him."_

_Genma's eyes fluttered close. He knew no woman more reasonable than his wife, and through the understanding of that, only felt relief. He had secretly been planning that all along, if they found some reason to execute him, but the thought of having to leave her behind, stilled him. He smiled briefly before he heard a cough behind him._

_The two of them whipped around, thinking they were the only ones in the room. A thump of fright shook them before they realized that Soun and Yuuka stood behind them, smirks on their faces. _

"_You two…" stepping completely inside of the room, "should probably find a way not to scare ALL of the servants away, they stand as pretty good guards against intruders like us." Yuuka said lightly, a smile brightening up her face._

"_You guys look like you just heard the world was coming to an end." Soun said rounding the tatami mats to face the monarchs. He got close enough to Genma to rap against his head with a firm knuckle. "It's not the end of the world, Genma."_

"_But…wait. You…you know? Impossible!" Genma howled, knocking away the man's irritating hand. "We just…What do you know, Soun?"_

"_I am your First Sword….who also has his very own Inochi as a wife. Nodoka forget she left Yuuka was in the Garden that emergency meeting was called. That old "enhanced everything" she has going for herself includes hearing."_

_Nodoka gasped while Genma searched his friend's face for strength. "I-I wanted to come to you first, to tell you…"_

"_Correct, I knew you'd do such. I also knew you'd try to interfere. But don't. I don't want you to fight for me, Genma. Not at all. This isn't your fight. And like I said, it's not the end of the world, old friend."_

"_You've completely lost it, Soun. They want to try you for TREASON. Treason. They will KILL you."_

_Soun scoffed. "That is a possibility. I knew of the Law beforehand, it is my very job to know everything about you, this clan and its functions. I took on that responsibility and I took on the consequences that came with it. And because I chose to do so, you will not endanger your newly won foot inside that proverbial door. It took you too long to garner the respect of these people. You will not lose it on a count of me."_

_Genma turned to Yuuka. "Talk some sense into this crazed fool! Let him know that we are not going to sit back and just let him…"_

"_You mean that whole "run away together" plot you two just came up with? No, your majesty. Soun is right. We have a superb and righteous leader of this clan now. Our job is to serve this house, and that is what Soun did. Leave it to me. If they DO indeed try my husband for treason and he is sentence to death, just know this. He will not die. I will not let him." _

_Soun rose from his kneeling position to place a warm hand on Soun's shoulder. "Old friend, I probably will be found guilty. A law is a law. Until them, let us enjoy the lives we live, until they are not the lives we live anymore, ne?" _

_With that, the two left the room, with smiles on their faces. _

_And Soun was completely correct. Within a week, he was tried for high treason. But, Yuuka too, was correct. She did not let him die. Her influence as the sitting Inochi with the Imperial House, allowed them to step in and waive the automatic death sentence. The Imperial government stepping in on clan matter was unheard of, and made a swift impression on the clan people. They moved instead for exile, which the community agreed on wholeheartedly. They had no wish to watch the man, who brought many good men home, die for that action. _

_The council also annulled the standing contract of betrothal between the newly born Akane and Ranma four months after they were exiled. Yuuka remember receiving packages from both Genma and secretly Nodoka. She kept everything Nodoka sent, while Soun, with a smile on his face, sent back the parcels of money Genma would try to slip in with the gifts. The life he led was a quiet one, far too detached from Genma's and he didn't want there to be any sort of trail connecting the old friends. "Continue to make good decisions, you old Panda, and we will live the lives that were destined to us."_

Yuuka snapped back to reality. Yuuka growled again at her memories wandering off., but they served as a fact check against her ever forgetful brain. She did, however remember what exactly brought her to this state of thinking. Without a betrothal, the only thing for Akane to do as a host was….nothing. Of course she could always take part in Inochi training, but for what purpose? A healer she supposed, but the type of healing they performed only served a purpose under the umbrella of the Imperials and the clans. Her magic would appear as sorcery to any hospital or church. Yuuka's brows gathered together in concentration. She found it extremely hard to concentrate now a day, as if her mind would wander off and her body would feel light. She often wondered when her focus would return, but for now, she'd just endure it.

Gathering her skirts, she turned to walk back the house, sure her daughter was hungry. Although someone may have fed her; her house was filled to the brim with Inochi as they were figuring out what to do next. With her no longer being connected to the Imperial House, SOMEONE would have to take her position when she left this place.

Gaala seemed a good choice, good a decision making, which was imperative as the head. But, she was unfeeling, cold and a stickler for rules. Orihime was very young and naive, but very powerful, very intelligent and full of hope. Hye Mi would actually be a perfect fit, but other than mastering the Japanese language, she had so much to learn about the culture, being a Korean native, so….

She shook her head; she'd pick someone by tonight's end. Then the ninnies could help her pack the rest of her stuff up to move to the house her and her family had been staying in since exile, and the new owner of the house could move in once she was chosen. As she entered the house, the rest of the members stopped moving, and let out a low whistle, the rightful call for when the Seat entered a room. Yuuka rolled her eyes. "You morons stop that. I'm not your leader anymore. Plus, this is a night of fun and memories and all kinds of other crap we get to cherish, so stop with the whistling."

"But Yuuka-sensei, the rules state…"

"See Gaala my dear, I was JUST saying that in my head. You're rule crazy. But we appreciate that. We'll need someone to remember how to run this place properly." She smiled before patting the younger woman on the head. "What have ya'll been doing while I was outside?"

"We fed your daughter because she was crying like a banshee, we started organizing what was left of your things, and someone…let Orihime cook."

Yuuka's eye twitched. "Dear God...okay. So since I've lost all my powers, someone PLEASE go stop that disaster from happening, I'm too weak to fight off her puppy dog eyes. And she's seven for the sake of everything holy. " Yuuka shook her head. "And turn up the heat! I shouldn't be freezing in my own house!" Yuuka wrapped her arms around herself, a slight shiver wracking her body.

Hye Mi frowned a bit. "Yuuka…it's hot as hell in here. You wanted it toasty because Akane's room was cold…" Walking up to her she placed a firm hand against Yuuka's head. Her frown deepened as she grabbed the woman's hand, only to find it balmy and moist. "You're burning up, woman." Yuuka shoved Hye Mi's hand away. "Nonsense, I am fine. I just need to sit…" She turned for the chaise, but never made it there, collapsing.

She shook her head, wondering what the girls were screaming for. She looked down at her dress. "Hellfire. Something's on my dress." She stated matter-of-factly, before slumping against the side of the chaise. Hye Mi grabbed the side of her face, forcing Yuuka's face up. A steady stream of blood was running from her nose to the fabric of her dress. At this point, the reserved Hye Mi panicked. "INVOKE!" the light from her jewel momentarily blinding her. She then snatched her jewel from around her neck and screamed "HATSUDOU!" before slamming her two hands together. The rock pulsed as it vanished into the palm of her hands, the whites of Hye Mi's eyes turning black, her skin darkening, and scripted words raced across her neck.

Cradling Yuuka's strangely smiling face in her lap; she placed both of her hands on her chest and shouted "CHIYU" watching her hands tint blue as she concentrated her power on Yuuka.

Yuuka woke up what seemed days later; feeling like someone had kicked her in the face. It in fact had been three days since Yuuka had fainted in front of all of her members, scaring them to death in the process. They had known she would grow weak from the unhosting event, but they had no idea it would come to this. When Yuuka opened her eyes, she noticed a sleeping Soun at the foot of her bed; she giggled as a little bit of drool hung on the edge of his bottom lip threatening to spill over. She nudged him with her foot watching with glee as he panicked and flopped around for a second before realizing he was awake. Still bewildered he realized that someone was laughing at him, only to find his wife giggling like a mad woman under the covers.

"That's not funny, you devilish fox-woman! I could have…" Finally realizing that she was awake and he wasn't dreaming, he rushed off the bed and gently pulled the covers back from her head. "You're awake…how do you feel?"

Taken aback by the sudden warmth in his eyes, she smiled. "I feel fine, Soun. Just fine."

"Don't lie to me woman. You're biting your lip. You always bite you lip when you're lying." Yuuka realized how she was worrying her lip before releasing it and looking up. "I'm tired Soun. That's all."

He sighed, used to her stubbornness. "You fainted. You've been asleep for three days. The girls won't tell me anything until you wake up. They said you'd probably have an answer, but knowing you, they'll have to tell me. "

She sat up at his words, running a shaky hand through her long tresses. She knew because it was her job to know. Something that her husband and she took very seriously. Their jobs. To research every inkling of it, every corner and every theory. Never be surprised. Always be ready. She couldn't say she was ready, but she knew what was happening. She had felt it for days, yet ignored it. She was young and beautiful, she had a wonderful family, and despite everything that was happening, she had had a wonderful life. But that life, she felt it leaving. The energy that she possessed, had all been stored within the rock, her life force was in her jewel. And she didn't have it anymore.

This by chance would make her daughter an even stronger woman of Inochi, but that would be a lesson that she would have to learn on her own, when she was of age. She wouldn't be there to teach her daughter.

She looked up at her husband, smiling. "Well! Those ninnies wouldn't know more about me, than I would. And I know I'm fine. "She turned from Soun, gathering strength from nowhere. She didn't have it in her to tell him now. She wanted to tell him when she was stronger, didn't look so frail. He was still dealing with losing his First Sword, his best friend. How could she tell him?

She didn't have to. She heard what sounded like pages being flipped, to find her husband holding her journal in her hand. She gasped. Frantically she tried to reach for the book, to snatch it out of his hands before he started reading. Grabbing it by the spine she tossed the book across the room into a dark corner.

He stood there looking dark, a look in his eyes that she couldn't read. "I'm feeling weaker by the day, the strength it takes to pick up my daughter leaves me breathless and discontent. I climbed to the training room today and almost collapsed from the sheer exhaustion of it all. I used to be able to run for miles without stopping, spar with a smile on my face. Now I can't even climb the stairs. I won't last long like this. There is nothing I can do. The energy just isn't coming anymore."

Yuuka realized is adept horror that he was reciting a passage from her journal by memory. "How did you…"

"You've been passed out for three days. How long do you think it takes to memorize something that tells you your wife thinks she's dying?"

"Soun, really. That's not what that is say-"

Before she could finish, Soun slammed his fist into the wall. "DON'T LIE TO ME YUUKA! DAMN IT WOMAN! "Yuuka refused to move, scared at his sudden anger.

He turned to her, his eyes furious. "For the love of everything precious, don't lie to my anymore. I am your husband! You are my rib! Don't you understand I feel your pain as if it were my own? "

Kneeling beside her bed, he grabbed her hand, kissing it over and over again, willing the tears that were now streaming down his face to stop. He held her had then against his forehead, hoping her touch would sooth his pain. "If you tell me you aren't dying. I'll believe you. I'll believe anything you say. I need you Yuuka. You…I can't operate in this world without. My hands…my head…my heart, they are in pain at the thought that this is true. Tell me it isn't. You're stronger than me. Stronger than this….Just…something…anything other than that."

She stared down at her husband, a man of unlimited strength, frail and weak before her, because of her. She held no answer to heal his pain, just as she held no answer to heal her own body.

Yuuka remained was silent.

A sob tore from Soun's lips at her silence. She wrapped herself around his, trying to get as close to him as possible, crawl inside him if she had to. She'd find the pain and sooth it, made this strong man's tears cease. She shushed and cooed at him, and all he could do was cling to her, daring the darkness to try and take her away.

There was nothing they could do. Over the course of the three days that their leader was unconscious, every Inochi woman had huddled together to try to heal her body. But you can't heal what isn't broken. Yuuka wasn't sick or ill, battered or bruised. She was just out of energy; lifeforce. There is not cure for that. They didn't know how much time she had left, they just knew that she'd grow weaker until she passed out from exhaustion and never woke up again. It would be a painless death, physically.

She decided to spend whatever time she had left away from everything, in the quiet town of Nerima where they had picked a quiet house and built on dojo for her husband's practice. Yuuka had picked Hye Mi to take her seat, as she was the best qualified and unless a new hosted Inochi was discovered, Orihime would then take Hye Mi's place when the time came.

Life wasn't that bad. Kasumi and Nabiki with little memory of their lives in Chiyoda soon forgot everything involving their lives as nobles, while Akane grew up as any regular child would. The jewel was put in a safe place, seeing that Akane wouldn't need it as a regular child. Eventually she'd happen across the rock, so Yuuka left a note letting her daughter know it was hers to keep. They lived a normal, happy life, for a number of years before quietly in her sleep one night, Yuuka passed.

OoO

Akane sat in front of a lake she'd found a short path from Orihime's house. There was a spot in particular that called out to her, so she sat, someone how feeling completely at peace. It was familiar yet foreign; she'd never sat here before, let alone seen the place, but for some strange reason, when the cool air whispered through her hair, she felt warm. Beside her sat her mother's journal. She'd read it front to back. Surprisingly, Yuuka had left numerous letters and instructions to herself and Orihime in there. She learned of her mother's life, her character, her sharp tongue, her fiery temper. Everything she'd imagined her mother to be, she found to be quite the opposite and that warmed her heart more than anything else could.

When imagining what someone is like, you put them on this utopian like pedestal, where everything is perfect. In contrast, doing that makes you seem immeasurable and unworthy. Akane knew her mother would never approve of such thinking, but how can one not, when all they are working with is their imagination and not tangible memories? Finding her mother's faults matched her own made her heart soar. Her mother was real now; she knew what she looked like in all of her spunky splendor. Orihime had stored a bottle of her mother's favorite perfume and given it to her; she could now imagine what her mother would smell like when she hugged her after a long day at school. By reading her mother's passages, she could imagine what she'd say to Akane as she scolded her for beating up yet another boy.

Everything was wonderful…except for the sole reason why Akane was reading a journal and not hearing this first hand from her mother. She glanced at the jeweled rock around her neck. She never hated anything more than this damned contraption latched around her neck like a noose. If she got rid of it, then maybe she could rid herself of the memory that her mother died because a damn rock couldn't understand how important Yuuka was to this world…her world.

She reached up to unclasp the gold chain holding the rock against her chest. Once she gathered it up in her hand, she held her hand back, ready to toss it into the lake. Just as she was about to release it, a hand caught her. Surprised, she looked up to see a pigtailed boy looking down at her questioningly. He reaching into her palm to remove the rock, and replaced it with a warm cup of tea.

"Drink."

Akane eyes steeped dangerously closed before she rolled her them, and lowered the small cup to her lips. Taking a sip, she eyed him as he took a seat behind her. "Don't take this the wrong way, but you're as tense and wound up as a spring. It's almost painful to look at. There is a slight muscle relaxer in that tea and…"before he finished his words, rubbed his hands together before placing them at the crook of her neck. He felt her tense even more before he called out for her to relax. "You need this, just accept it."

The moment his strong hands went to kneading the base of her neck, she instantly became boneless, leaning into his touch. He began at her neck and slowly moved to her shoulders, attacking a particularly tense knot. She became lost somewhere between his hands and the song he hummed softly in the quiet night. "God Ranma…."

"I've been called a lot of names by you, but never God." She threw an elbow against his side, smiling when he laughed as it connected. "Let see what other names you've called me in the few days we've known each other…There was pig-brain. Shithead. Arrogant prick. The quaint and lovely way you said "Your Highness" after you kneed my royal jewels."

Akane laughed. "Don't forget asshole. That's my personal favorite."

"Ah! How could I forget asshole? Hm. Just rings of warmth and sincerity." Ranma joked as he moved to her opposite shoulder.

"That's because I was completely sincere when I said it. And just so you know, so you'll never doubt my sincerity, I will ALWAYS mean asshole when I call you that."

"That reassures me. Thank you Akane." His hands stopped for a second, before he inched her around to face him. He paused for a second, just staring at her, before he placed a hand behind his head. Sighing, he whispered. "No, really. Thank you Akane."

Akane looked around, confused. "What have I done now?"

"You're here. You could have walked away, left me to my own troubles. Accepted the protective custody they offered you instead of staying. But you didn't. I don't deserve you being here…" He paused, looking down as his hand. Uncurling his fingers, the jewel caught a simmer of the moonlight. "If I knew how to comfort you through this, I would, I swear I would. But I don't know how. And I don't know what to do."

Akane sat back at bit, trying to formulate to gather her thoughts into sense. "Some of this is your fault. But most of it isn't. I don't understand how all of this is connected, but the strings are starting to show themselves. Something is starting to make sense. This is a lot bigger than me or you. Whatever triggered this, it didn't start with you knowing me or me knowing you. Don't blame yourself for something that is out of your control. I mean think about it. You're sitting here, the Prince of an entire clan, who just happens to have a knack for building things. I'm sitting here, the daughter of a First Sword and an Inochi. I wield powers like some kind of freakazoid. Just so happen that we ended up working together, when our parents were best of friends?"

Ranma blinked once. Then twice. "What do you mean our parents were best of friends?" The confusion on Ranma's face was laughable, and she'd be just as confused as he was if her mother hadn't connected some of the dots for her.

"My father, Tendo Soun, was YOUR father's First Sword. Shortly after his marriage to your mother, he elected my father to that position. Your mother? She picked my name; apparently MY mother and YOUR mother were very close because of that."

Getting more excited the more she revealed she grabbed his hand. "Remember when we sat at your kitchen table and you said something about Anything Goes Martial Arts? Happosai taught your father and my father everything they know about martial arts. The same training and everything."

"Everything is in," Akane picked up her mother's journal, "this book. I've spent the last four hours reading it from cover to cover. There was something cryptic in there about you and me, and destiny. That's what got me thinking that this is WAY bigger than me or you. We need to figure it out, too."

Ranma nodded, his lips slightly pursed as he thought. Eying her carefully, he softly said "Do you think you'll be able to figure it out, when your rock is at the bottom of a lake?"

Akane's smile faltered for a second. She forgot about that insane act of angst and unthinking. Letting go of a nervous giggle, she reasserted her smile. "Thank you for stopping me, I let something get to me and it made me forget what was important. "

Ranma was still very confused. He'd been in classical schooling since he could remember. He remembers nothing about a Tendo Soun in any of his history classes. Nor Happosai personally teaching him anything. He thought his father and him were the only ones privy to that special brand of torture. He liked Akane's father all the more now for living through that. When they got back, his father had a lot of explaining to do.

He'd received a report that Yoruichi was meeting with a few special people to get to the bottom of whatever was going on. They should be able to return by tomorrow.

He was excited. For once, he had a foreknowledge of what was happening, rather than it taking him by surprise. The feeling was good. The rush of endorphins knocked up his courage a tad, so he turned to the woman in front of him. She was gazing off into the lake again, giving him a moment to just look at her. She still didn't know he had plans to fix the mess his life was in, and take her as his. He'd tell her one day, as soon as he found a way around this ridiculous ruling the Council handed him. He knew he was a product of monarchy, but to actually be with someone who made his life full? He'd denounce his thrown before he let her go. He loved her completely and he wished he could show that to her, this very instance.

But he wanted everything to be absolutely perfect, he didn't her want to get the wrong idea, by him considering her, his. His what? His mistress? He laughed. He'd never. No, that he'd considered her his everything, his fiancé if she'd had him. He'd have to regain her trust again. Time didn't allow for anything too magical, so to be able to sit by her like this was a start.

"Hey Akane."

She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "Hmm?"

"One day you'll forgive me fully. I know you will. And on that day, I'll be the happiest man alive."

Her eyes widened for a fraction of a second before she giggled. "You put that much faith in my forgiveness, Your Highness?"

In his mind he whispered _I put my entire life in your hands_. Out loud he simply stated "Yeah, I do."

She nudged him softly with her elbow. "Gimme some time, I'm getting there." She smiled at him before handing him a few piece of rock. "Betcha I can make it skip times that you can. Loser grants the other a wish when this is all over with?"

With mock surprise, Ranma gasp. "Farther than me? Out of your mind, pixie woman. I'll have you know that I was the rock skippi-" He stopped as he watched her skip a rock far across the lake till it disappeared in the darkness. He turned to her, her face full of laughter. "I've been had, haven't I?"

She smiled brightly. "Pretty much!"

OoO

Bishamon was an ignorant man. Very intelligent, but very ignorant. Especially in looking "not" suspicious. Yoruichi had had her eye on the older man for years now. Every suspect ruling that every happened in that insufferable council chamber always had him looking even more suspicious. He'd never broken the law, no. But he always seemed serpentine like, waiting for the right opportunity to strike or slither by.

Point in case. When Yoruichi planned for Ranma and Akane to go to the mountains while all of the tension in Chiyoda calmed itself, who did she see slinking his way to the guest chamber? At first she thought he might be favorable to the gathering of the Amazon and Taichousen houses. But that didn't require a personal visit. A messenger could have relayed anything that needed to me told without the alderman bothering himself with the hike. Yet there he stood. He rushed in as soon as he was announced, and to her surprise stayed for more than an hour. What in all of Chiyoda could be that important for an alderman to visit a foreign guest? Pleasure? Yoruichi shuddered at the thought. If not that, what could possibly be this urgent? As she stood watch, his actions worrying her, she witnessed him hurriedly leaving the wing, carrying a piece of parchment with a jade seal.

Jade seal? The science department? Why would he be hand delivering a message from Cologne to the science department, especially without Ranma being present. Everything had been centralized around Ranma's conversion project, so until he returned there should only be one person down there….

Yoruichi smirked, before silently dropping from the branch she had been standing on. "Let's see what the idiot is up too".

OoO

Cologne watched her incredibly pissed off granddaughter pace a hole into the floor of her guest suite. After a servant girl fetched her earlier to tell her that Shampoo was acting out in homicidal rage in her room, Cologne summoned the younger woman to her. After hearing what happened at the lunch table a few days back, Cologne considered a couple of things.

For starters, she never wanted Akane to touch foot inside of Chiyoda. The sole purpose of having Kodachi kidnap the woman was to keep her far away from Chiyoda. Secondly, she wanted Akane far from Ranma. Although having them placed in the same company served her purpose for planning, the fact that they had built a rapport and were close to each other was not a part of the plan. She witnessed firsthand how he'd foolishly ran into the middle of what seemed a very powerful fight to save the woman. Idiot. Simply if Ranma had just fallen in love with her granddaughter by now this could be solved easily. She heard that Ranma challenged the betrothal at the last council meeting.

Thank all the Kamis Bishamon was there, to bring some sense to those softhearted fools that populated the other seats in that chamber. Do they know how long this had been planned? They almost ruined it, with a crapload of sappiness and rubbish. The quickest way to correct this was to have Ranma continue until his completion of Yangupawa was complete whilst separating Akane and him from each other. She had direct connection with the scientist that ran Ranma's lab, and he would shortly understand the change of plans.

She growled. The thought of Akane and Ranma holed up in the Chiyodian Mountains together, peeved her greatly. She'd worry about her granddaughter later. She was guaranteed her spot at Ranma's side, so putting too much effort in consoling her was a waste of energy. Now that Kodachi proved herself worthless, and Moose was handling the Masura clan for her, she had no choice but to finish this out herself. Bishamon would help no doubt, to keep the overzealous Taichousen, namely a black cat named Yoruichi and the ever stoic Ulquiorra from interfering and snooping where they didn't belong. She had to make nothing happened before the wedding between her granddaughter and son in law on the first day of Spring. She needed unlimited access to the Taichousen clan and their Prince for as long as she could manage.

The power of Yangupawa would be hers, if she had to kill to get it.

**A/N: People are going to start reading this and circling names, since I grab names from things I've seen, Hye Mi being for Dream High. So atleast I can actually visualize her when I write, HA! But anyways….what was I going to say. I forgot *poof***


	15. Chapter 15

AN: My loves! I missed you! Don't throw things at me. I'm on a budget, my cheap detergent only gets out SO MUCH! Hey, is anybody on Tumblr? Send me your Tumblr! Let Tumblr' all around the place! Anyways, I've finally decided where I want this to end up being about, so hopefully now that I'm not in the land of writer's block, I can make this all come together. YEPIEREE! I read this twice, if you see errors, my bad, I'm old and my eyes are conky Love you guys!

A Delicate Covenant Chapter 15

What a piece of work is a man, how noble in reason, how  
infinite in faculties, in form and moving how express and  
admirable, in action how like an angel, in apprehension how like  
a god! the beauty of the world, the paragon of animals—and yet,  
to me, what is this quintessence of dust? Man delights not me—  
nor woman neither, though by your smiling you seem to say so.

`Hamlet

Midoriko stared at the test results in front of her. And continued to stare. And stare. She stared until her eyes crossed and tears ran down her back. She stared while standing on her head; she stared even when she was facing the opposite direction. She stared in her dreams. And for all the staring in the world, it did not change one thing on the piece of paper in front of her.

Something was missing.

She'd been the chief lab engineer in charge of this project for months now, maybe even years. A good understanding of biochemics and even better grasp on the harder to comprehend science of spirituality had allowed Midoriko the chance that no woman of commonplace birth would get. To be employed, and substantially funded by the Imperial Royal government. On top of that she was granted the privilege of working directly with the Royal Science Department which had allowed her to work as the Taichousen's heir right hand woman. Which was an honor in itself. The man was brilliant, which surprised her because the only fables she'd heard of him were about his fighting prowess. She'd watch him at work, throwing things together, working chemical processes at a speed beyond logical thinking.

Which is how they ended up on their current situation; a magical situation. It was oblivious to everyone else in the outside "muggle" thinking world, but what Ranma had stumbled on and was currently trying to process into a working amulet of healing was miraculous. When he was younger, somehow inspired by his Father's "The Fountain of Youth" parable had spurred the young man to find a way to turn it into a way to help society. Sure, if the wrong hands somehow got their hands around this and were to say, use it in the way that wrong hands were sure to do, it would be dire. But the only person that had their hands in this project was herself and Ranma. Oh. And Kenji.

Kenji had been tenured into his spot as Lab supervisor for years now, a fossil in the eyes of his colleagues and cranky as the dinosaur that they came from. He had an eerie way of showing up, unneeded and uncalled for when some type of discovery was made in the lab. Whether to have his name stamped to the successes or to leech off as much information as possible, they could never be sure. He was campy and predictable but no one knew his true motives and that always bothered Midoriko.

The only problem that existed (outside of the staffing) was the stalemate they'd reach. When the Prince sauntered off to have a life (hmph, who needs one of those when you have science!), he'd left her in charge of finding the solution to their catalyst problem. What she'd discovered in his absence was that the solution didn't lie in the spirit particles that were affected. It was biological, something that would adversely or advantageously effect, what they'd termed as the "Cyclic Process". Some kind of biological infusion to the spirit particles that will allow their instrument to control the aging or progeriation of the spirit cell. What that biological piece was, she had NO idea. She'd tested everything. Plants, Animal, Human. Nothing worked, nothing changed, and everything failed.

Thus her staring at a piece of paper as if wondrously the letters would rearrange themselves like the DaVinci code and she'd know what to do next.

Her grumbling stomach provided her the answer.

Looking up at the clock she noticed that it wasn't even close to noon, but the unhappy gurgling noises her tummy was making indicated that she had no control over the situation and tugged unhappily at her lab jacket. She turned around in her chair, only the realize that she must have been a cat in another life, as Kagome was standing there, her fingers pulling down at the bottom lids of her eyes, looking ghoulish. Midoriko screamed bloody murder, her head shaking in fright. Kagome straightened up and guffawed loudly at her cousin.

"You old hag! Look at you! Did you wet yourself?" Kagome wrapped her hands around her middle, laughing so hard that tears were forming in the corner of her eyes. Midoriko, composing herself, walloped the younger woman across her skull. "You dolt! You scared me senseless!" Still laughing, the younger woman clutched at her head in mock pain, before throwing her arms around Midoriko's shoulders. "Awww 'Riko! I could hear your stomach trying to take over all of Japan outside, so I snuck in. And I brought some friends."

"You," she glared at the woman, "brought friends into my lab?"

Kagome smiled was so eerily bright that Midoriko cringed. This could only mean one thing. "And by friends you mean…." She inwardly groaned as a bento box was shoved into her hands. Looking into the box she saw rice, seaweed bundles, and sato-imo; piles and piles of sato-imo. "Your favorite! Magic potatoes! We need to do something about those frown lines and these unhappy crinkles on your forehead, young lady." Midoriko resisted the urge to lunge and ring the girl's neck. The potatoes were known for their anti-aging ingredients, and as Kagome was always heckling the woman about her age (she was only 7 years her senior, the stupid little chit) she practically forced these type of "healthy meals" down her throat.

"You know, one of these days, I'm going to get a law passed that legally allows me to kill you, hide your body and be rewarded for it."

"HEY! I'm only looking out for your health! You should be-"

Suddenly Kagome found her cousin's hands around her mouth and a stern hand on her shoulder dragging her down below the line of vision of the lab tables. As if this proved her older cousin's deteriorating mindset from age, she frowned angrily, grunting loudly.

"HUSH you nitwit! I hear someone coming! You aren't supposed to be in here!" Kagome would have answered but she still had her face wrapped up like a damned octopus was attacking her. Calmly she bit at the skin she could get her teeth to reach, chuckling darkly as the woman snatched her hand away. "Breathing apparently is a luxury to you, but to me, a necessity." And as if to laugh in irony's face, Kagome added, "I'm a damn princess of Chiyoda, hell you mean I'm not supposed to be here. I can be anywhere I please."

Midoriko sighed. "For the love of gene mutation, woman, shush! You can flaunt your nobility around later when you make me do your hair, or carry your royal luggage somewhere royally stupid but for now…" indicating silence with her finger over her stern lips.

Kagome's frown deepened but she stayed quiet, hunched behind a table while her cousin looked like she'd swallowed a glass of nails.

A sigh of frustration was heard. "He said he'd be here by now. Where is that…" Footsteps. And more footsteps that sounded like they are heading in the direction of the two squatted women. More fear gripped Midoriko, while Kagome rolled her eyes at her theatrics. _Oh bleeding Zeus, what's the worse they could do, lecture them to death?_

"KENJI? Are you in here? Show your face already."

The footsteps stop as some creaking could be heard by the stairs across the room. The older woman face scrunched in confusion. Kenji wasn't on the schedule to be here today, she was sure she had the entire lab to herself. But she never checked out his office on the upper level, and with his penchant for being creepy as hell, she doubt she would have heard him either way.

"Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeees?" Came the voice from the lab supervisor. Midoriko shuddered. Yes. Creepy. Creepy was a good word. The perfect word.

"Finally! Are you here alone?"

"Look around Bishamon. Do you see anybody else? Of course I'm alone." Kenji bit off, pulling out a chair, the metal legs scrapping against the tiled floor.

Bishamon grunted, glancing around once more. "I came to drop off a report for you directly from Cologne."

Again, Midoriko paused. Well this couldn't be lab related if a message had come from Cologne; she had no ties to this department…to any department.

There was a pregnant pause before Kenji drawled out a "…and this is in relation to…"

"Don't be a damned idiot; this is in relations to the only thing Cologne would be sending you a message about. What else would it be."

"Oh…_oh._" Kenji chuckled to himself. "News, eh? She must have discovered something. Or else, she'd leave me alone to my meddling."

"Your 'meddling' has been ineffective for months now, Kenji. But yes she's discovered something…or she's now revealing something she knew all along; you can never be sure when it comes to her. "

"I see. Well let's get on with it, hm?" A cracking of a seal and the rustling of paper could be heard. "This is what she discovered? This? You can't be serious. How could she know this? We've been searching for this for months."

"Like I said," countered Bishamon, "those aren't questions I was going to ask. But she's discovered the catalyst for Yangupawa. She states, as you can see in the final paragraph, to hide the discovery somewhere where either Ranma or that phlegmatic of a lab engineer can discover it. Make it seem as if they happened upon it. I don't know what you need to do. But do it. And fast. They are expecting Ranma to be back within the next day or so."

"Whatever she'd like me to do, I shall do. But I still am very confused. Ranma's been walking around with the catalyst in his company the entire time? And he doesn't know? If that's the case, why is she dragging this out? Why not-"

"You scientist. Always over thinking things. Why reveal all of our cards? Are you trying to be found out? Caught? This process is like a rose, slowly budding and wilting; it takes time. Our previous attempts at stealing this were unfounded and ended up very messy. Deaths. In addition, no matter how smart you think you are, you wouldn't know how to apply this to the actual device. So we let THEM do the work for us."

Kenji hmphed at the councilman. "Well, for one I'd wish you'd hurry up. Having those two in this lab all the damn time upsets me. With their discoveries and joyous laughter. The faster you people get this over with the sooner I can get back to my quiet lab."

"I assure you, this will be over soon enough. There are only a handful of days until the mid-winter festival. "

"Fine then, I'll do as I'm asked. You can leave now." Without any further celebration, the frumpy old man slid from the chair and headed back upstairs to his oblivious den of laziness. Bishamon gaped at the man for a second, not quite used to the curt way the mad scientist treated him, but quickly got over the shock and turned to leave the lab.

Midoriko stood shock still, until she was absolutely sure the strange man had left the building and Kenji had burrowed himself inside of his shell of an office. But still after she was sure that they wouldn't be discovered she couldn't move from her spot. Midoriko never considered herself an unsuspecting person, she was actually quite suspecting of everyone around her, deducing and concluding things about people based off their mannerisms and characteristics. She prided herself of never being taken unaware, no formula ever surprising her with the results, no equation ever remaining unbalanced.

But as she sat there, she realized how unbalanced and potentially hostile this equation was. They were being played, very well might she add. Kenji was eerie and meddling, she knew that, but underhanded…no, she never thought that. Bishamon was strict, commanding and authoritative way above his station. She'd deduced he was power hungry, but traitorous? No… he loved serving Chiyoda. But maybe they both served a higher master than their love for their science and state.

In all her panic, she forgot she wasn't alone when she heard a meek voice call out to her. "…'Riko…I don't understand, what are they talking about? What's going on?" Kagome was flushed with confusion and an anger she didn't seem to understand, and Midoriko agreed with her. "I'll explain what I can explain, but first thing first we have to get out of here. NOW."

Grabbing her hand, Midoriko stayed low, still afraid of being seen, heading toward the back door of the lab, probably the same one Kagome used to sneak in. Pausing at the door to glance out the open, she made sure the coast was clear before they scurried out the opening, heading for the trail that would lead them back into town. As they rounded the corner of the lab, they came to an abrupt stop, apparently running into something that felt unmovable. Taken aback from the halt in their progress, Midoriko looked up and gasped into the back at her hand as the object that was in front of them was not an object, but a person.

Said person smirked at them before quickly wrapping their hand around Midoriko's wrist, preventing her from escaping. They eyed Kagome, daring them to try and run.

"Hey There."

OoO

Without so much as introducing herself, Kodachi entered into the apartment, snapping her fingers for her goonies to follow her. Well, goonies was a bad term. They were on the short side, dressed uniquely but similar to each other. One had a messy bun of purple black hair and the other had her turquoise hair pined to the back. They were actually very cute, despite how hard they were trying to look menacing.

As Nabiki turned around, still a little shocked from what was unfolding in front of her at the moment, her surprise mounted when she found the woman to be smiling brightly at her. Even more confused when she felt the young woman wink at her before readjusting her fur shawl.

"Kodachi. A Pleasure to meet you."

Having come to her sense, Nabiki raised an eyebrow at the woman's outstretch hand. "You've got to be kidding me…"

"Actually, I'm quite serious."

"Serious about what? Who are you? What are you here?"

Kodachi sighed. She'd hoped she could make this little visit short, she'd hate for too much to be said and revealed.

"Guess you're a little hard of hearing." She stated raising her voice obnoxiously, as if they woman was really deaf. "That happens often when you're baseborn. I said my name was Kodachi." She stated dryly.

"You say Kodachi as if we know each other. As if that name is going to ring a bell."

Kodachi blinked. "Surely you're kidding. Ko-da-chi. Kodachi. KODACHI. " She frowned at the blank stare coming from the other woman. "The name should ring a bell…you're dating my brother after all."

Nabiki paused, started, and then paused again. "Say that again."

Kodachi glared the woman up and down. She was a cute enough girl, stylish cut, aggressive aura, but she seemed a bit daft. Either way, she was surprised the woman hadn't heard of her, just once. Not a story, not a…

"Oooooooh! Kodachi! You're the shitball crazy one!" Nabiki grinned, finally pulling the name from her memory. The sister that was high off her own nobility. The sister who Kuno hadn't seen in months, the sister…

"Wait…why are you here? You're the one that's been following us? Called my sister?..." The expectant eyebrow she got from the colder woman confirmed what she stated. "But if you're following us….that means…

"Holy fuck…."

Nabiki whipped around to see Kuno standing at the top of the stairs, his eyes comically wide as he caught on to what all of the commotion was.

"Nii-san." The woman cooed fondly. "You're just going to stand there? No hug? No kiss on the cheek for your younger sister?"

What Kuno did next surprised Nabiki and he chomped down the stairs, securing his hand around her wrist and throwing her behind him, glaring at his sister with suspecting eyes. What was more surprising was the knowing smirk that developed on Kodachi's face, rather than the hurt she was expecting.

"Guess I deserve that." Kodachi looked around finding a chair to lap herself into. Crossing an elegant leg and handing her handbag off to the purple twin, she simply stated. "Hand me back Sasuke."

"Not until he answers all of my questions."

Nabiki gasped. So her suspicions were correct, Kodachi had followed them from the Cat's Café, and it was apparently in search of Sauske. Which means she was connected to Sasuke. She was connected to Sasuke's boss and she's was connected to Akane's disappearance.

"Hand him over, and I will answer all of your questions, brother."

Kuno scoffed, even going as far as rolling his eyes at his delusional family member. "I haven't seen you in what…six years and you expect me to believe anything that comes out of your barmy psychotic mouth? Ha. Right."

"I've always told you, I have no control on whether you believe me or not. I can only tell you. The reliance on its accuracy is up to you."

"How about this. You answer the questions that I'm beating the snot out of your midget for upstairs, and THEN I let him go."

"Tea, first?" The woman blinked innocently, her smile coy and full of eagerness. Kuno's face remained unaffected. She ignored his stern face, opting to instead rise from the chair and make her way up the stairs without permission. Kuno and Nabiki watched his sister slink upstairs while the two doll like menaces stuck to her hells, both eye Kuno as if he was the unwelcomed guest here rather than the other way around.

As soon as they were up the stairs, Kuno whisked around to face Nabiki. He eyed her like she was on fire, checking everywhere to make sure that her sister hadn't done anything to her. He was patting her down like a recaptured criminal when she knocked his hand away. "What are you doing, ya nutball?"

"She didn't hurt you did she? She….she's-"

"Crazy, I got that. But dangerous? I highly doubt that. She wouldn't have surrounded herself with Thing 1 and Thing 2 if she could handle things on her own."

Kuno scratched the back of his head. His sister was actually quite capable. That was the problem. Crazy, he got. His sister was intoxicated with the life that they were afforded as nobility, and reality had become scarce and fleeting to the young woman. She immersed herself in material things she didn't need, surrounded herself with people that didn't care for her, and used her station as a means to have life flow according to her own rules. But, she was still very capable. As children they were trained as fighters and could disarm and injure her opponent with a speed that Kuno had yet to see matched.

That's why he was furiously searching every inch of Nabiki's skin for damage.

"Oh stop it, will you!" she huffed. "You've got a wild mongoose upstairs probably tearing up your shit, and you're worried about some invisible injury." She held him at arm's length, turning him towards the stairs and pushing him. "Get, doggy. We've got questions to ask, and people to find." Nabiki cracked her knuckles leaving Kuno to laugh nervously. _This is going to be so ugly. _

She wasn't technically "tearing up shit" when Nabiki and Kuno reached the top of the stairs, but she definitely had made herself at home. The twin guardians were rummaging Kuno's fridge, a look of distaste at the things they were being forced to steep tea with. Kodachi was lying lengthwise across Kuno's couch, her shoes off and her feet propped up. Miraculously with his one free hand, Sasuke was waving her fan, cooing to her appreciatively. "Remember sweethearts! Don't steep too long. I like my tea sweet and not bitter!"

Kuno looked at his sister, tried to hide the knowing smirk off his face. Well, at least she could say she never changed. He walked over to where she was making herself feel as if she were queen. He unceremoniously pushed her feet off the couch, the momentum causing her to sit upright, her face shocked.

She made to say something, but he put his entire hand over her mouth. Holding up one finger and raising one very irritated eyebrow, he peered down at her. "One. This isn't your house. Although I couldn't imagine yourself lowering your so called standards to live here." His house was rather nice, but not Kodachi expensive, as she would say. "Two, we are going to make this very short, and very simple. Like I told your personal fan bearer over there, that woman-" pointing to Nabiki who now took up residence of the far wall, "has a sister she needs to be found. A sister that for unknown reasons or motives you are somehow connected to. As lethal as you are, baby sister, I have no problem holding you by that mop of hair on top of your head and letting her beat the brisket and crumpets out of you."

"So, I'm going to release my hand. I'm going to ask questions and you're going to answer them. Then you're going to leave."

Kodachi sneered up at her brother. This is why she didn't visit him often, visit him at all. He was so stiff, and by the books. Honor, valor. Ha! All she needed was love, and her fine things that blinged, and to hell with honor and valor. He treated life like this was the Middle Ages or something.

"Fine. What questions do you have? I certainly have better things to do than stay here unwanted and treated like a common criminal."

"You ARE a common criminal Kodachi. No- " he said crossing his arms across his chest. "In fact you are better than that. Explain to me, how you managed to get yourself THIS….I don't know, fucked? The Masura clan, Kodachi? The yakuza? Are you insane?"

Kodachi puffed out her chest indignantly. "And what of it? It's not like I was running around town, stealing radios and other whathaveyous. The only thing I did was…you know. Mastermind a kidnapping attempt or two."

"YOU DID WHAT?" slid smoothly off the couch, in enough time to grab Nabiki around the waist , preventing her from taking the daggers she was shooting at Kodachi and stabbing them somewhere that would ruin the woman's pristine fur shawl.

"WHAT? I treated her rather nicely, you know! I even put her in my mother's _houmonji__. _I fed her, and, told her to the truth… and…"

"It wasn't as if you did it out of the kindness of your heart, you damn idiot! Tell me why you decided to kidnap my sister? Not only that, you bombed her car! There's no telling what other addle brained scheme you came up with. But I'll tell you this. If one hair is out of place on her body, if she has one unanswered for bruise, or her tummy aches or she gets a headache. If she breathes wrong, I'm taking it out on your ass!"

"Kuno. Your pitbull in a skirt, talks tough. But nothing she does scares me. I've handled worse, trust me." Kodachi said unamused. "Both of you are wanting answers, but all you've done is yell and well look what we have here, nothing answered." All the joviality, and false serenity left her face, replaced with a look of arrogance and thinly veiled disgust.

"Sit down, shut up. I'm actually trying to HELP here, if you hadn't noticed. I followed you here, not to harm you, which I could have done, believe me I have the resources, but to help and guide you. As a way to make up for what apparently has been a lack of care on my part. I put my own wants and needs above…everything and I need to right that. I can't do that with Simba and Nala snarling at me."

Nabiki continued to snarl and didn't appease the snarling until Kuno gently ran his hands up and down her arms, whispering soothing words into her ear. Her face didn't unclench, her hands still in fist at her sides, but she did take a seat next to Kuno, refusing to look at the woman. Kuno nodded in her direction. "Just…tell us everything Kodachi…"

She sighed, the smile gracing her face again. She motioned for one of the girls to bring her the tea, which that carefully placed in front of her before kneeling on the ground to her left, docile and quiet.

"Where do I start? Exactly three months ago. I was approached by a young woman, who gossiped and gabbed on my love for Ranma, the current heir of the Taichousen clan. It wasn't a secret, and it still isn't a secret. Everyone knows I'm in love with him. I'm not ashamed of that." She shrugged to prove that fact.

"But mid conversation, she stops and speaks of ways, people who could help, things that could be done to secure my place at his side. She mentioned because of my noble station, and if I followed the instructions and leadership of a woman simply named "Boss", that I'd have what I believed to be mine. Well what would you do if you were in my situation and crazed over a man who ignored you on every occasion?"

"It was arranged that I'd met this "Boss" person, but I never did at first. She communicated mainly through other people. But after everything was agreed upon, I was simply to "seize" a young woman, who was the key to some kind of device that she needed to get her hands on. I was to test her strength and see if what had been fabled about the woman was correct. It is true that I left most of the hard work to Taro, Anzu and Sauske. It was the idiot over there,"pointing at the still bounded Sauske, "that decided that bombing her car would be an effective method a getting her back."

"What happened after that? She's okay right?"

"Oh yeah! She's perfectly fine. After her and her group of super do-righters destroyed the summer compound, the one that mother loved so much. They escaped me and have done something with Taro and Anzu because I haven't heard a word from them since they left."

Nabiki finally peer around to face the woman. "So, you had my sister stalked, bombed and kidnapped, almost killed, so that you could seem favorable in Ranma's eyes."

Kodachi looked at her like she was rather stupid. "Duh. He's got a fiancé already, but she was promised to be out of the way to make room for me if I did what was asked. I couldn't turn that down. If that man was wiser he'd see that I'm a better choice, over that disaster of a woman." Kodachi didn't hide the look of distaste on her face. "Yet, I understand that after having met the boss and having her explain her goals to me, that everything I'd done seemed rather silly. You don't trap flies with vinegar. Or is it, you don't kill flies with honey….something like that."

"Don't forget the car chase, Kodachi!" Sasuke offered up.

Nabiki tightly gripped around Kuno's arm, willing him to stop her from amping on the young woman. "Where is my sister now?"

"I-don't-know. Didn't you hear me? I haven't heard from Taro and Anzu. They were the ones tracking her. I just know she left my compound," looking Nabiki in the eye, "-with all her hair in place."

"But I do know this. If they were headed anywhere, they'd be heading for Chiyoda. It's Ranma's home of course."

OoO

Midoriko wanted to tilt her head back and scream, but she couldn't so she began kicking and clawing at the hand wrapped firmly around her wrist. The owner of the wrist just looked at her, amused humor on their lips.

"You done yet, you ninny?" Kagome looked at her cousin like she was insane. She WAS right. She was going senile. When the _slightly _older woman kept kicking and trying to pull her wrist free, Kagome rolled her eyes, bopping Midoriko on the head. "Stop it! It's just Yoruichi for heaven's sake!" Her kicking slowed down until she blinked a few times to clear the maddening haze that'd covered her vision.

"Oh."

Yoruichi smile deepened, the tip of her fanged canine slipping out. "So I see you two have been doing my job for me." Slinking her arms around Midoriko's and Kagome's shoulders, she ushered them away from the lab back towards the wooded area she preferred.

"Y-yo-your job?" Midoriko had had enough excitement in one day, and was still floating back towards the realm of common sense.

"Oh you know, spying, espionage. That sorta stuff. Although I should say this little scene at the end, with the whole "panicking in the face of danger" bit was a troublesome. But nothing that can't be worked on." She giggled. Once deep enough in the wooded area, she lowered her arms and turned to the two women. Patting the ground next to her, she indicated for them to sit. "I'm trying to keep a low profile, and being surrounded by trees always helps that." She waited a beat for the girls to get adjusted, taking the time to scan the area again. Her feline-like hearing also confirmed that there was no one within the vicinity, so it was safe to talk.

"So…." She had tried the whole "scare-scare-truth" tactic earlier with Akane, and that didn't seem to go over as smoothly as she planned. So she'd give them the opportunity to speak first, which Kagome, oh dear sweet talkative Kagome, did.

"" Kagome said in a hushed whisper. She was regretting everything she did today. Instead of sneaking off to see Midoriko, she'd somehow managed herself in more trouble that the embroidery class she ditched was worth. "I mean I don't know who these people were, but they were talking about Ranma, and 'Riko here and some cataly-whats-it. Someone is in danger, I'm sure! Am I in danger? Sango's gonna _kill_ me for getting myself in danger again. I shoulda just-"

Yoruichi held her hands up. "Okay. You," pointing a finger at the beet red Kagome, "don't talk. At all." Patiently she swung her gaze over to Midoriko who seemed to have calmed down marginally. "What is she talking about?"

"Long story short? I think our Prince is either marrying into a psychotic megalomaniac family….or we heard wrong."

Yoruichi blinked in response, causing Midoriko to frown. "My lab supervisor was seen talking to Councilman Bishmon. Which was unusual to begin with, but he was speaking to Kenji on behalf of Cologne. Which was ultimately strange to me, because I can't think of one solid connection between the three." She stood up then, stalking a circle as she told what happened. "The message Cologne delivered was along the lines of discovering a catalyst…THE catalyst for the device that Ranma created, which is great, strange but great. But then they went on to talk about how they had tried to steal it once before, and how they were going to leave the work up to us, plant the information and THEN steal it….."

Kagome stood there wide-eyed. "You mean to tell me, is that…" She froze. "Wait. What exactly ARE you trying to tell me."

Yoruichi grinned. This more or less proved what she'd been thinking all along. Someone inside of Chiyoda was the center of this, rather than some outside force. She'd also been right to think that it had something to do with the Amazons. Ever since Cologne first appeared in Chiyoda, Yoruichi has had a nagging suspension about her. She was meddlesome, but in a way that never directly involved herself. Like the betrothal bartering; how she managed to convince the council of the value of the contract with the Amazons over a state born courtier, through Bishamon. Or how she'd managed to ease her way into the stocks of this clan, garnering ownership of black tourmaline shares. That all of a sudden made sense to Yoruichi a few days ago with the whole "Akane vs. Ulquiorra" fiasco in the gardens.

"I'm not going to explain much to you, because at this point you're safer not knowing everything. But some of your unvoiced suspicions may be true. Something is going on INSIDE of this compound, and you two are going to help me solve it."

She grabbed Midoriko's hand, forcing the woman to look at her. "You are to be wary of Bishamon and Kenji, yet don't act suspicious. LET them plant the information. Act surprised when they do, praise them or whatever you nerds do when you discover something. But report that finding to me. Do NOT complete anything, even with the knowledge you have. Once I know what they know, then we'll move. But you are to act as if today never happened. You understand? "

Turning to Kagome, she simply stated, "Treat Shampoo the same way you would if you didn't know what was going on. That's your only job."

"But…But I don't know what's going on. "

Yoruichi smiled again. "Good!

OoO

Happosai was bored. Everything was boring him to utter death. Not that he could die. Well at least he didn't think so, he was old enough to start thinking he was immortal. Maybe because he feasted on the energy of young maidens, the warmth of their bosoms, the firmness of their backsides, the smell of freshly laundered panties; all gave him the strength to live on past his mortal limits.

But he didn't think he could survive the boredom. Genma was locked in his quarters, trying to "figure" things out. "Bah. Fool couldn't figure his way out of a wet paper bag, and look at him trying to figure out a conspiracy." Yep. At this point everything was a conspiracy to him. He went almost 30 years quietly in that small town, and then all of a sudden, the weight of every tangled web of politics was trying to strangle him. Hell, he was even back in Chiyoda for the sake of lace.

That Taro guy was giving some entertainment, but when he wasn't cracking the lamest jokes or showing off that cool bull-eel-winged parlor trick, he spent most of his time moping around, lamenting on his lady love who still hadn't came and seen him. Exactly what was he expecting, Happosai would never know, but he had to kick him out before he took a flying leap just from the second hand depression.

He rolled his eyes, that left only Yoruichi and he'd be damned if he'd entertain himself with her special brand of communication. Which usually meant him talking and her hitting, or him flying for the soft pillows of chocolatey warmness on her chest, and him getting kicked, or that one time when he'd…

The sound of the window to his suite creaking open drug him from his thoughts, but he paid little mind to it, preferring to smile through his daydreams little chocolate chip nipp-

This time instead of a sound interrupting his daydream, a boot clad foot kicking him forward jolted him. Not one to easily to surrender the upper hand to the enemy, when his palms hit the floor, he used the momentum to push off the ground, twisting his little body midair to land on his feet. He moved to strike back or either defend himself when he heard a girlish giggle.

"It amazes me how in your old age, you're able to leap around like an alley cat looking for food, old man."

He groaned, he'd been thinking too hard and had conjured up the cat. He was stronger than he thought.

"What do you want, you mangy pussycat. I don't have time for your foolishness. I have some very interesting thoughts to return to, if you don't mind."

"Interesting thoughts indeed. If you were younger, I'm sure those interesting thoughts would be tenting the front of your hakama right now." Yoruichi gingerly took a seat, uninvited and uncaring of an invitation. "But whatever thoughts you had running through that filthy marred brain of yours will have to wait. I come with news. "

"Hark! The cat has news." Happosai lamented, a look of disinterest on his face. Still he took a seat next to her. "What's happened NOW?"

"How much do you know about Bishamon?" She held her arm out, running her tongue along the length of it, then realizing she wasn't actually a cat at the moment, she paused. She turned to him with a sheepish half smile, pawing at him for him to answer.

"Councilman Bishamon? What about him? Old, foggy, very ambitious, yet from what I heard, his so called love for Chiyoda is a maladjusted search for self interested power. He's been rumored to have shady connections, nothing that can be proved. And then there was that old one-two he pulled on Soun all that time ago, that unfortunately can't be proven either. All I know is, I'd trust a hungry fanged cobra before I trusted him."

"Hmm."

"Hm? That's all your gonna say is Hm?" Happosai frowned at her. "What was this news you bring? "

"Seems like there may be a chance to prove good old Bishamon's shady connections. The lab engineer and Lady Takahashi seemed to have discovered a nice little conversation between Kenji and Bishamon over at the Taichousen Facility today. Something involving Cologne, Ranma, that damned device and a catalyst."

"Cologne? What does she have to do with the lab supervisor and Bishamon?"

"Exactly my point. But I'm sure finding that out will link everything together, but I need to link everything together before Ranma and Akane come back." Yoruichi made to rise, only to have a hand wrapped around her wrist stop her.

"Well, wait young lady, let me think." Happosai rose, waddling over to his own personal things he had stored in a trunk at the foot of his futon. Opening the chest, he wandered inside until he happened upon a leather bound book.

"The year that Bishamon was made a councilman was…" flipping hurriedly thru the journal. "…around twenty four years ago. That was roughly one year before Soun's exile…."

Yourichi frowned. "Okaaaaaaaaaaay…and…."

"One year and six months after Bishamon's instatement to the council, his first call of order was to find Ranma a new bride. He personally selected the five contracts that were brought before the campaign and fiercely campaigned for one contract in particular."

"Yeah, that I know. He's the reason that the Amazon's contract was selected. Hell, even Genma couldn't turn down the contract after Bishamon hyped it so."

"Bishamon was also the one who formally signed off on the contract termination of Ranma and Akane's betrothal contract. The thought hadn't really crossed anyone's mind until he mentioned that as a technicality it should be tied in with Soun's exile. "

Yoruichi paused in thought. "So you're telling me that, Bishamon was directly connected with Soun's exile, Ranma and Akane's betrothal termination AND Shampoo's contract? That's pretty farfetched to believe. No one else noticed the pattern?"

"I was ON the council during that time. It didn't raise too many eyebrows because Bishamon was brought into the council due to his "love of his state" and his passion for the law. So far, the only crime he'd committed was being overly righteous and overbearing. "

"You think that Bishamon….."

"You say that the two women saw Bishamon deliver a message directly from Cologne, right. What reason would he have to do so? The only connection the Council has with the Amazons are contract legalities, which were settle YEARS ago. Unless they are friends, and even then, she wouldn't have Bishamon, a member of our council delivering messages like a common servant. She has plenty of servants for that. "

"He's her pawn, that's what you're getting at isn't it. But why?"

"That my dear, I don't know the answer too."

OoO

Ulquiorra watch the woman with interest. Not because she was an interesting woman, it was that she was a paradox in her training. One, she was very well into becoming fully hosted with her crystal. It was raw and looked quite painful to Akane, maybe because it was rushed and she'd spent so much time untrained in handling properly. She was pretty good at controlling the powers once she'd managed to absorb the entire thing. Her speed and agility improved and her background in martial arts shown as she dodged attacks he'd thrown her way.

The problem lied in when she didn't dodge an attack.

She'd get injured. And yes it was real injury. Generally that wasn't a problem due to the fact that the crystal should allow her quick recovery, and for the injuries she was receiving it should have been instantaneous. But they weren't.

They were still waiting for the signal from Yoruichi that would allow them back into Chiyoda without problems, hence the extra time for Orihime to whip Akane into shape. But on numerous occasion they'd been set back as it was taking Akane time to heal from her injuries. That's what was interesting about this; why was she taking so long to heal?

Nobody had an answer, not even Orihime. So while Akane excelled in one thing, she remained vulnerable in another.

Which led him to swing his sight over to Ranma. _This _idiot.

Every time Akane was hit, he was ready to fight. Like it was personally Ulquiorra's fault that Akane failed to dodge an attack. They worked well as a team like this though. As soon as Akane would hit the floor, or a tree, or fall into the lake, Ranma would swoop in to continue the fight. The other two, Ryoga and Ukyo found this hilarious. The first time or two they'd tried to hold him back, but at this point, there was no use. Akane was slumped over holding her side, and Ranma had charged in like a bull.

Ukyo laughed, making a lazy grabby move for Ranma's arm, rolling her eyes as he easily slipped through them. She turned to Ryoga, grinning. "How long till he shouts out "DON'T YOU TOUCH HER!"? Ryoga looked down at his watch. "Give him about 5 more-"

"DON'T YOU TOUCH HER!"

"…seconds."

Ukyo burst out laughed as even Akane rolled her eyes at his antics. "When did he become so overprotective?"

"You must be forgetting that whole scene he caused at the apartment a few days back. Or when he made an ass of himself at the bar because he was jealous. Or.."

"Gotcha."

"I'm starting to think we should stop anyways. She DOES look hurt this time..."

"Who Akane?" The brunette made a throwaway gesture with her hands, indicating she believed the opposite. "That's a tough cookie right there. I would have been thrown in the towel, but she seems to…." Ukyo blinked…"actually be hurt this time."

They both rose from their positions, quickly joining Ranma who was staring at the blue haired woman as if he had just watched her head topple off her body and roll away. There wasn't any blood, but Akane's breathing was labored and droplets of sweat lined her forehead.

Orihime stepped past the group of people, eyeing her impassive husband with a frown before she leaned down to Akane's side. This wasn't going as smoothly as she hoped it would. The ability to protect herself was gratifying. She's heard her husband speak lightly on the subject when they first arrived. But her inability to self heal was worrisome. She'd have to master that before she'd ever be able to heal another person. The orange haired woman sighed; noticing that Akane had her arm wrapped around her side, Orihime slowly lifted the arm, replacing it with her hand. She lightly pressed on the area, which caused Akane to clamp her eyes shut before whimpering.

"Mighta bruised her rib a little bit," Orihime gathered, trying again to see if the woman was capable. "Akane, can you concentrate your thoughts to the pain? The younger woman forehead furrowed in concentration, before she gasped out, shaking her head. "It's not working; it's just hurts worse when I do it."

Sighing, grabbed at her crystal around her neck, whispering the words she needed to invoke. After the blast of bright light subsided, she let a small amount of energy flow into the side Akane's bruise rib was on. Warm light gathered and it obviously must have been working because Akane began to smile, the now familiar energy inducing happy thoughts. When she was satisfied, she dusted her hands off with a smile. "That should be better, although I'm going to call this session to a close."

Akane shot up, her side mildly healed but still slightly aching, reaching for the orange haired woman. "WAIT! I don't have time to rest! We're supposed to leave today."

Orihime shook her head, "Ulquiorra says that you haven't been given the go to come back yet. It's okay. Looks like we may have a little bit of time to get you acclimated, Akane." She patted the woman's cheek motherly before she turned to Ranma. "Take her to the lake house; I think if she spent some time there she'd be able to concentrate better."

Ranma looked confused, his gaze shifting to the small lake house on the opposite end of the lake. "What's in there?"

Orihime smiled. "Quiet. No talk of rocks, stones, crystals, powers, responsibility. Just quiet. Keep her mind off of it. I'm afraid she might be a little overwhelmed. This will help her clear her mind."

Seeing no other options, but appreciating the fact that they'd have a little time alone, not only for that simple fact, but that Akane could stew in relaxation, he nodded. Scooping her up, ignoring her peep of surprised, he turned for the lake house, only slowing when she hissed in pain.

It looked small on the outside, but the inside was very spacious. A den area with a fireplace, which was more than going to be needed in the slightly chilled air. There was a kitchen, as well as a bedroom that was tucked behind two stained glass windows. Pushing back the doors, he carried her until he could gently lay her down on the thick down comforter of the bed, following her to sit at her side. Without thinking, he lifted the side of her camisole up to inspect the area.

It wasn't that bad, the blood from the bruising seeming to draw back under the skin and back to its rightful place until her skin took on her more natural hue. He fingered at the skin softly, watching her face for any signs of pain. She didn't look pained but her cheeks were flushed as he ran his fingertips across the smooth expanse of her sides. Clearing his throat he quickly withdrew his hand and stood up, nervously scratching the bad of his head.

"Um…so…..I'm going to check the kitchen for any food. I may have to jog over to the main house if they don't. Will you be alright if I do?"

Akane smirked. "I just hurt my side Ranma; I wasn't ran through with a blade. I'll be just fine."

Ranma shivered at her choice of words, but nodded in agreement. He backed out of the room, closing the doors behind him. He rounded into the kitchen, and just as he guessed not enough food to get them through dinner. Akane heard the soft click of the front door as he left. Stretching languidly, finding that her side really was without pain, she walked over the large cabinet in the room. There were things to wash with and what looked like lounging clothes; taking the opportunity to take a shower to rid herself of these layers of dirt and sweat would be satisfying.

The heat of the water relaxed her body and the quiet of the house relaxed her nerves. So much that when she exited the shower, she forgot that she was sharing it with one other person for the night. The scream that erupted from her throat when she opened the door to find Ranma there, his hand mid knock, scared HER so much that she almost slipped on the moist tiles of the bathroom floor. Ranma immediately reached out to grab her, catching her around the waist. In her panic, the towel being the only thing covering her body, and Ranma's strong arms around her, she shrieked again, slapping at his arms.

His brows gathered in confusion for a second, before he frowned at her behavior, immediately letting her go. She landed on her rump with a hard thud, a painful sounding 'ack' falling from her lips. Rolling his eyes as she glared at him her position on the ground, he turned ignoring her anger. "I managed to grab some things from Orihime. I'll light the fire. Get dressed before you kill us both."

After that incident, they found it "easy" to ignore each other, Ranma broiling some miso soup and occasionally checking on the ginger pork baking in the oven. Akane sniffed appreciatively at his cooking skills, but not enough to utter a word to him. She hadn't meant to react like that, but just because they'd decided to be(…what…friends?), didn't mean that she didn't yearn for his touch. She'd react to his proximity forever it seemed, and behind the rush of blood to her cheeks, sensation had flooded somewhere else and she felt ashamed.

In no shape form or fashion, was he hers, and in this situation, where it was just the two of them for a night, she'd had to fight against her own will not to do something stupid_. Emotions aren't stupid Akane,_ she heard her heart say, while her brain gently reminded her that actions could be.

They ate dinner quietly in front of the fire, finding it the only place in the house warm enough. The food was quite good, but the silence was awkward and seeing how it was her fault, she decided against her better judgment to break it. Laying her spoon down, she turned her head slightly in his direction.

"Wanna play a game?"

Surprised by the sudden sound of her voice, Ranma's own spoon clanked nosily against the ceramic of the bowl. "What kind of game? You're supposed to be, you know—relaxing and taking it easy..."

"This will help me relax. It'll do better than the silence."

The inventor glanced in her direction just for a second, before sliding his tray away from him. "Okay. What kind of game?"

"Something Nabiki taught me. It's called. Truth or Truth."

With a raised eyebrow, Ranma questioned, "I'm sure it's called Truth or Dare, woman."

"No. It's played like Truth or Dare, just no Dare. I'm allowed to ask you a question. You can either answer my question or tell me another truth. When I was young, it was fun because the dares Nabiki could come up with were…well…"

Ranma chuckled. He stood to grab each of their plates, walking them into the kitchen and placing them into the sink "Alright. You go first, since it's your suggestion." He slid down beside her, his back braced by the sofa behind him.

"Favorite color?"

Ranma smiled looking at the girl boldly, "Red." She smirked in response to the play on her own name. He retorted with his own question. "Favorite position?"

She paused, then sputtered. "W-w…what do you MEAN favori-"

"Tai Chi, position. Your favorite form?" Ranma smiled innocently, ignoring the glare from her.

"Form 108…." She still looked at him out of the corner of her eye suspiciously. "Favorite food…."

"Pass. I don't have one. _My_ favorite position requires a rear entry stance that-"

"RANMA!"

"What?" He looked at her scandalized face before Ranma chuckled boyishly. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Okay. Ask another question. I'll behave."

Akane thought briefly before asking something she'd always wanted to know. "Do you hate being a noble that much?"

Ranma sobered slightly. "Not really. The life itself is a good one, of course. Money to spare, time and opportunity to do what you want in life. Attention, if you're into that sort of thing. The only thing is…"

She looked up expectantly, waiting for him to finish the sentence. "The only thing is…"

"Freedom and sincerity. I know as the future head of my clan, that people "love" me. I am a Prince, that's what they are supposed to do. Inside of Chiyoda, I am "loved" by everyone. They love me for my flaws; they love me for everything that I do. Because that's what they are supposed to do. I could burn the place down and they would still "love me"….because…."

"That's what they are supposed to do."

Ranma nodded. "That's why the few months I spent outside of those walls, were special to me. Nobody knows me or my stature outside of those walls. It was built that way for a reason, protection of the working noble system. But believe it or not, getting yelled at for a mistake, being rejected by a girl, being told that my good isn't good enough, felt great. I was measured for who I was, not what I am."

Akane hummed softly in response. She didn't have to wait long for him to throw out his question.

"Why are you such a workaholic?" Akane quartered his question, wincing a bit but deciding not to answer it head on. "Pass." Ranma raised on eyebrow in question as he spoke. "Then that means…."

"Truth." She sighed into the memory. "When I was 22 years old, my college sweetheart decided that it would be a good idea for us to get married. He'd already asked his parents for permission, and surprised my father with the request at my graduation ceremony. Silly and in love, I accepted his proposal, which caused my father to as well. I was ecstatic. We'd started shopping for new furniture for our apartment, figuring out colors our wedding would be. We planned a long engagement, so that he could also finish college."

Picking at the loose fabric of the rug, she continued. "Two weeks before our engagement party, he went missing. It was around finals, so I didn't stress it too much. When I finally did talk to him, he said that he'd returned home for the bit and would call me when he was headed back to town. So I waited. And waited. And waited. A month had passed, and I hadn't heard a word from him. I was very angry. Late one night, after I'd pissed myself off enough to fall asleep, my phone rang. It was him."

Ranma tilted his head towards her, noticing her cheeks had gone red in remembrance. "He told me that, while he was at home, he'd ran into an old lover of his, and couldn't deny the fact that he still held feelings for her. He wanted me to wait until he sorted his feelings out, then he'd come home, and we would be wed. He….he never came back."

Turning to him, her eyes bright with moisture, a whisper of a smile on her lips. "That's why I'm a workaholic. I don't want to go back to apartment we shared, filled with his stupid memories and dwell in it."

As he watched one lone tear fall from her eyes, he without preamble reached for her, pulling her into his lap and guiding her head onto his shoulder. "This is probably going to sound corny, with us sitting in front of this fire like this but…." He gently massaged the skin at the base of her neck, praying that no more tears would fall. "He had you, of all people, you…and he walked away from it. I want to tell you that you are the lucky on. He's apparently daft as hell, Akane."

Gods, he felt good. He was warm, he was soft yet strong and….and everything. And because of THAT, she instantly was annoyed. She knew she was being stupid, but she couldn't stop herself. She mumbled something into the crook of his neck, something he could quite hear, so he nudged her with his cheek. "Say that again?"

She pulled back looking him square into the eyes, her anger from having cried over that stupid man making her bolder. "It's to be expected. The whole love 'em and leave 'em nonsense. You did the same thing."

Rolling her eyes at the brief twinge of hurt she found hidden in his eyes. She was irritated, irrationally, so she pushed up from him, standing. "This was a bad idea. I'm going to bed." He started after her, looking as if he wanted to explain, to talk about this. They were talked out about this, nothing was going to change, and nothing needed to be discussed. So she stopped a redundant and useless conversation raising her hand to stop him from speaking. "Thank you for staying with me….but I'm sure this isn't what was meant by "taking my mind off of it." It's my fault though…but thank you."

He watched her walk off, closing the doors behind him. It wasn't until he heard the click of the door, did he react. His mind was racing and out of control. _ You don't walk away from me! Not without giving me a chance to explain. …Explain WHAT? I've explained as much as I can. She was absolutely FINE yesterday. By this SAME lake, she was fine! What the hell does she want from me?_

He stormed into her room, ignoring her shock as the door clanged loudly against the wall. "I NEVER willingly walked away from you. And you know that."

This is why she left the room. Akane wasn't in the mood, she riled up some very dark feelings that she hadn't planned on, though she had no one to blame but herself. Righteously so, but she reacted, nonetheless. **Badly.**

"I don't give a DAMN what you willingly or willingly didn't do! I don't give a damn about any of this! That stupid idiot you're bounded to, this stupid town, this stupid life! Go away! Just go away! "

And by reacting badly, that wasn't an understatement. She was livid, at her lack of luck in the past and now her future state of fate. Everything about it pissed her off. She grabbed a lamp at the side of the bed and flung it at his head. She didn't flinch when he dodge it, the lamp breaking into piece as it hit the wall. She didn't flinch when he tore across the room, jumping over the bed to grab her to keep her still. She didn't back down when she started throwing herself at him, kicking and punching.

"GET THE FUCK OFF ME RANMA!"

"No! Calm the hell down and I'll let you go."

"You'll let me go right now! "

She slipped out of his hold, yanking hard at her wrist that he managed to keep a hold of. He angrily pulled at her wrist, the momentum allowing him to tuck under her and lift her off the ground over his shoulder. She continued to scratch and punch at his back, satisfaction on her face when he yelped as a scratch dug into his skin. At that he threw her hard onto the bed, scrambling until he straddled her, holding both her hands captive, her legs locked in between his.

"What the hell is wrong with you? You were just fine. You were JUST fine a minute ago, a day ago! What did I do now?" She didn't answer him, her face balled up in anger, her hands trying to free themselves. She didn't know why she was so angry, she just was.

"Get the hell off of me." She jerked again. Frustrated she tried screaming again. "I don't_ care_ Ranma! I don't care, I don't..."

He took a moment to look at her, her face flushed with heat, her eyes wild in anger. God, she was beautiful when she was mad. Slowly he rested his forehead against hers, willing her to calm down. "You care. I want you to care. I NEED you to care that you can't have me. Because I am just, if not even more heartbroken, that I can't have you. I need you…"

She didn't say anything, just closed her eyes, her breathing erratic. "Open your eyes."

She firmly shook her head, clenching them shut with all her strength. "Please Akane…."

He released one of her hands slowly; making sure the fight had left her. Slowly, very slowly, he ran his hand up the length of her side until he reached her face. He moved to run his thumb across the smoothness of her jaw line, his hand finally landing right below her neck. As gently as he could, he placed kisses against the soft skin of her neck, savoring the very taste of her, releasing her other hand to cup her face in his hands. Trailing his cheeks against hers, nudging her face back towards his. He whimpered when she complied, turning to face him, her eyes still shut. Ghosting his lips across her, he waited a moment before he lightly bit at her full bottom lip, before indulging himself fully in the kiss.

She felt the last bit of fight leave her as his warm lips pressed against hers. She turned her head to deepen the kiss, tightly wounding her arms around his neck, trying to pull him closer. _You're absolutely insane, girl._

They explored each other's mouths, enjoying the taste and texture of their emotions. Pulling back slightly, he ran his tongue across the bottom ridge of her mouth, before fixing his eyes on hers again, staring so deep that Akane almost wanted to look away.

"Akane…."

She held her breath.

"…believe me…."

He sighed.

"…I love you."

AN: Fluffy Angsty Mad Fluff. What do they say about make up sex? Hurr Hurr Hurr….

Akane: Means deep red in Japanese, thus Ranma saying it was his favorite color.


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: *creeps up in a cloud of smoke, as thunder crackles in the background* I AM ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLIVE.

And I've received your death threats, and whoever threw that proverbial stink eye my way last week at the market. I SAW YOU! I KNEW YOU WERE ONE OF MY READERS! I SAW YOU. (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻) *blinks * I don't have an excuse other than mentally exhausting work and Tumblr. Tumblr is a procrastination tool of the devil.

And on top of the apology for taking so long, I have to warn you. This is a dry chapter. Not because I've lost my ticket to creative land, but if I didn't get this rudimentary stuff out my head I was going to crazy. But it's still a good read (._.)

*whispers* I love you all.

Delicate Covenant

___A soothsayer bids you beware the ides of March._

-Brutus

The walls of Chiyoda always held secrets. They whispered things, yelled them, passed them along; intricately behind smiles and respectful bows. Everything you'd do and everything you've ever done was seen by the walls, committed to a memory not easily forgotten and Kuno hated it. The looming white walls of the Tower Gate was the first reminder of many why he had escaped the place, turned his back and decided that returning would be a fate worse than death. Yet, as he glanced at how the soil rebounded and molded around his footprint after he took the first step on the land that birthed him, he realized that the sting of his return wouldn't be something he could keep quiet. Because the walls, Kami bless them, blared his arrival in high fashion.

Sighing as he approached the passing station of the Tower Gate, he watched with a bored expression as a sentry trudged down the stairwell, his rifle slung across his back. They weren't used to much action, nobody dared to approach the walls of the city and its stronghold without a very _very_ good reason. The sentry still guarding the upper wall had his gun trained on Kuno, so he remembered to stay very still. Bored sentries are trigger happy sentries.

"Your business here?"

Kuno chuckled darkly; none of this was making him the least bit happy. "Coming Home party?"

The guard leveled his gun at the Kuno, not appreciating the joke. He rolled his eyes. The thought that he'd ever have to fish this out again was really allowing him to realize that he was about to set foot in Chiyoda and every stupid THING he had ever tried to escape would be staring him in the face. Waiting to pour him juice and tie his shoes, run his bathwater, peel his grapes (grapes don't need to be peeled, he never understood that). A legion of servants to reduce him to a title, and not a grown man. They'd expect him to abide by rules that seriously only made sense to the simple inane drones that occupied this place. He'd had to remember which fork goes where, why he shouldn't eat with his hands, burping wasn't allowed, he couldn't curse. He couldn't do anything but be everything that he wasn't.

Pulling out a weathered identification card, he grimaced. About forty years ago, face recognition was the only line of defense between people who could enter the palace and people who were turned away. The sentry guards were to be able to identify every noble, servant, military personnel, by face. That backfired enough times for the intelligence department to develop an identification system that didn't rely on who had a mole and who wore glasses.

The sentry's brow furrowed before slowly ascending to his hairline. He read and re-read the card, his look alternating between the face presenting the card and the picture on the card. "Lord Kuno Tatewaki? As in…"

He snatched the card before sliding it through the reader and pressed his thumb up against the coded key fob. "You can drop the Lord part, but yes." He smiled back smugly as the reader confirmed his identity.

"Now this next part might be a little hard, so follow me. I need you to gain clearance for Tendo Nabiki, and…KunoKodachiandherparty."

"KodakanaWHATA?" The sentry regarded with him confusion and impatience, although being in the presence of a noble; he tried to rein the feeling in.

Kuno sighed before looking back over his shoulder at his younger sister who sat at the edge of the forest clearing with an untamed haughtiness that only she could exude even in a situation like this. He'd explained to her after she dropped the dime on her recent activities that she'd have to return to Chiyoda. She knew of her pending exile, as well as her clan's blackballing her until she came to clear her name. Problem was, there really wasn't a way to clear her name, so the moment she stepped foot onto the Chiyodian compound, she'd probably be shackled to a wall and her every moved watched. Her own fault really; she was involved with a crime syndicate, involved in a kidnapping and the resulting imprisonment of a neighboring clan's heir and there was no telling what other things she'd found her way into.

"Kuno Kodachi. I need clearance for Kuno Kodachi."

An hour later they found themselves on the inside of the Kuno Clan's holding barge, waiting for their Father to meet them.

Kodachi sighed forlornly at the bars holding her captive, the caviler attitude she's pressed into anyone within a foot of her blaring loudly. "This is barbaric. I don't understand why they think they have to go to SUCH lengths. It's not as if I could use my supreme flexibility and shimmy my way out of here. That's not _possible_at all, now is it?"

She kicked at the floor of the holding barge, not appreciating the layer of dust collected on its surface. "There isn't a CLEAN holding cell? You useless baseless baboons don't have a nice cup of tea to offer me? To warm me up? I am a NOBLE OF CHIYODA! Bring the warden here! I let his stupid little daughter attend my birthday gala two years ago! At the last minute, no less! The least he can do in appreciation is bring me a chair…a CLEAN chair to sit down on!"

"Oh pipe down! You're not here as a guest, so stop acting like one. You are a prisoner; nobody owes you a *dram thing." Nabiki snapped at the woman, completely tired of her attitude. The entire trip here, she squawked and hollered about everything. Nothing suited her and she made that fact known tenfold. She thought once they got the hellbat in a cell, she'd understand what position she was in. But apparently Kodachi understood nothing, except herself.

Kodachi, shocked anytime Nabiki opened her mouth to refute her words (which was often, as in every other word out of Kodachi's mouth), opened her own to shrill out an insult but was stopped as their father walked through the door of the barge.

To say that the Father of the Kuno clan was eccentric would be an understatement. He kept to the tradition drab of Kunoian wardrobe, but never hesitated to "partying up" his attire. The loud colors of his hakama announcing his arrival before his booming voice did.

Without addressing anyone in the room, he paced the bars holding his daughter captive. He never bothered a glance in her direction. Or that's what could be guessed due to the fact that the pair of colorful shades never left his face.

"What was the one thing I taught you Kodachi?" His voice was strong and gruff, relaying everything opposite of the goofy way his expressions stretched across his face.

Kodachi smiled uneasily. "Um. Always tip the servants so they don't spread your gossip?"

"No. The OTHER thing, daughter."

"Oh!" She cleared her throat, and primly smoothed the imaginary wrinkles in her dress out before answering. "A lady of Kuno never tries to scratch out the eyes of visiting dignitaries because they are wearing the same gown as her." Kodachi looked hopeful, griping the bars, bringer her face as close to them without letting the filthy things touch her face. "Right?"

Kuno frowned in confusion. His sister was an unfounded nitwit.

"You seemed to have remembered every rule, except for the most important one."

"Err..rum….there's an important rule?"

Father Kuno turned on his heel, a bellowing laugh pushing the corners of his mouth to eerie proportions. "YES! There is an important rule! The one I say is important at the time! And you seemed to have forgotten it!"

"But that's becau-"

"That's no excuse, you have to be ready for any rule, ready to understand and kneel to the natural instinct as a Kuno to follow. That's where you failed Kodachi."

Kuno figured if he closed his eyes really _really_tight, he could ignore that this was one of the main reasons he'd left this feckless place to begin with. There were rules. An array of tight restrictive rules that his father enforced like a dictator but always with a smile of a doting parent. The subjects didn't know whether to support their leader or run away in fear of what abstract insane regularity he would implement next. From the guards' talk, last week it was haircuts for all of the children, the week before that every subject was forced to dye all of their red shirts to purple because he'd decided he liked the color better. Because the one thing that matter to his father the most was…

"Uniformity, Kodachi. The rule you have broken is that you've managed to set yourself apart from every other Kunoian noblewoman. You will forever be tainted as the Kuno that 'lost it.'" He maintained his smile, but it was tinted with disappointment.

"The fact that at some point she was considered sane is hilarious." Nabiki offered from her corner, an unimpressed look scoring her features. Kuno had given her forewarning on the antics of his family, which was mild compared to hers, but still bizarre in its own way. When the elder Kuno turned to look at her in spurned surprise, she waved another equally bored hand his way. "Go on; continue with whatever you were saying to the nutcase."

"And who are you?" Father Kuno lowered his glasses marginally to inspect the girl's presence. He'd never seen her before, yet he was most surely accurate in knowing she wasn't of noble blood. She had a roughness around the edges, which he'd admit he could appreciate, but also sensed too much independence and confidence to be tamed.

"A Tendo. What's it to you?" She easily missed the elbow Tatewaki threw her way in an effort to shut her up, but the last few days journey riled her up for any meeting with these so called noble people. Living behind a gate of reinforced security, void of any real danger unless they create it themselves, didn't sit well with her. With their fancy cutlery, ornamental selection of food, and most important the whole mismanagement of disposable income. The whole lot of them made her sick.

She smiled as Father Kuno sputtered for a second before regaining his composure and redirecting his attention to his daughter. That could be handled later, he mused. "So. What do you think your punishment should be? I'm trying to find a way to overturn your exile. I would banish you to the summerhouse, but as recourse of your actions leaving you there to run it like some kind of communist doesn't sit well with me."

"Well, yes. About the summer compound." She laughed nervously. "Shortly after a slight…ahem…altercation there…it kind of burned to the ground. Something about damaged walls and an electrical wiring mishap. So. Yes, you see. That's not an option of any sort."

Kuno tried to swallow the laugh with success at his father's hypocritical words, Kodachi's timid explanation and then his father's silent rage as his smile fell a few notches. He took the chance to speak before the two wound themselves us in another nonsensical argument. "She may have a chance to right her wrongdoings."

Regaining his composure, he peered over his shoulder at his son. "And how is that?" He took the time to finally take in Kuno. His son. The one who had abandoned the paradise under his rule, for a common life. He lamented on how the boy never visited like he said he would, and he never, not once ever, took back his vow to denounce the house of Kuno. It bothered him, to the point where he lost sleep over it. But he loved the boy.

"She's going to have to deliver a public apology to the Taichousen house of course for her actions, but even those martial arts nuts may not take anything less than blood as a fair trade for what Kodachi has done. Her only true salvation is offering up whatever information she has," and he focused his gaze on her, "all the information that she has. If it's not enough to locate Akane, then she make whatever calls, visit whoever she must, to get the information we'll need."

"Well, that's not going to work, son."

"And why not?"

"They found Akane. Although I haven't seen or heard word of her for a few days, which is strange, I usually know everything around here. But she's a very beautiful girl. Lovely haircut."

Kodachi smiled from her cell when what she'd told them was confirmed. "See! Told you she'd be here."

"Look, we aren't supposed to know this, due to Kodachi's interference with …well everything dealing with the Taichousen clan every chance she got. But I have my ways of gathering the information needed. "

Nabiki was up and out of her chair in a flash, her face a mere's breath away from the elder of the Kuno household ."And for the love of God, why didn't you people contact her family? Do you know we thought she was dead? A car bomb ripped through her vehicle. Her apartment was ransacked. We haven't heard from her for DAYS, and she was sitting here, safe, and nobody thought to get in touch with her family? Fucking kind of operation are you jackasses running?"

She was about to explode. Literally. Her anger manifested itself in a pressure that was lining her temple, causing her to squint against the brightness of the sun gleaming through the open windows of the holding facility.

"Young lady. Use your head. If Akane had been through all of that, don't you think there was a good reason why her family wouldn't have been contacted?" He fixed her with a level of seriousness that even Kuno hadn't seen in years. "You seem like a very smart woman. What reason would the city of Chiyoda have for keeping a woman's whereabouts secret?"

Nabiki glared, unblinking for a full minute before released the breathe she was holding and stepped back and relented. "She's still in danger, isn't she?"

"Yes. You might think we're useless people. …don't argue; I can feel your dislike of us. It's screaming from every pore on your body." He guided her back to the corner, where she'd abandoned her chair to come charging at him. "But, no matter how useless you think we are, this city means something to the city of Tokyo, the island of Japan. We run it as smoothly as we can, outside of certain…" He spared Kodachi another glance, "situations."

Nabiki sighed wearily, the tension she'd held in her body over melted away at the promise that Akane was indeed unharmed, for now. "Can I at least see her?"

"I'll try my hardest, but that'll be completely up to the Taichousen clan, who is housing her."

Kuno put a comforting hand on Nabiki's shoulder before directing his attention to his father. "If you believe that Akane is still in danger, then the information that Kodachi has can still be useful. In any event, is there a way for you to arrange a meeting with the advisors and elders of Taichousen? At this point, releasing any information that we have to them could be helpful."

Father Kuno nodded, straightening the sunglasses on his face before turning to the guards. "After you file the paperwork, take her to her quarters but make sure someone stands guard. She's not to leave. They have the other three being set up for interrogation now. Tell them to release them as well, deposit them in the serving quarters next to Kodachi."

Turning back to his daughter, he guided his fingers through the bars, to thunk her softly on the forehead. "You'll have a few of hours to become a humble young woman. The Taichousen clan won't take kindly to your haughtiness. That's a rule you cannot break, no matter how much pressure is placed on you. I'd hate to have to lose you, too. You understand?"

She blinked back the tears lining the lids of her eyes, as the weight of her actions sunk in. She'd have to face that family and explain herself. Her life as she knew it hung on their decision. Nodding her head solemnly, she decided that taking a seat on the dirt floor of the cell wasn't such a bad idea after all. It beat standing against the pressure.

Shortly after, Saotome Genma found himself sitting across from Father Kuno. It was something they hadn't done since he had no choice but to offer exile to the man rather than a sentencing which could lead to death. Now he watched as the other man had returned with a plan, a message, and negotiation.

There was a reason that Father Kuno was an efficient leader. Scary, and meticulous, fascist even, but sometimes in rare moment he found the competency to be effective. Placing a blue card down on the table, Father Kuno nodded towards the younger man. "I want to petition a meeting with the elders of Taichousen."

Genma raised a surprised eyebrow, he eyes jutting back and forth between the man in front of him and the card placed between him. Quickly he took the card and hid it within the folds of his sleeve. "And for what reason, may I ask?"

Father Kuno smiled. He then produced a list of people he believed would need to be directly involved. The list included list from every Klan, save the Yatsura clan, they were to independent and old to understand anything going on in Chiyoda outside of their selves. "To solve a mystery, Genma. To solve a mystery."

Genma smiled. He knew of the man's ability to know every bit of gossip, information and secrets lying in Chiyoda. Primary reason his clan's military force specialized in covert operations and intelligence for the Imperial Government. So whatever secrets he thought the Taichousen clan may have been keeping, he'd be a fool to think that Kuno wouldn't know about them as well. Figuring all the help they could get would be monumental; he reached out to pat the man on the shoulder in acceptance.

"What time?"

ooo

There was a special meaning behind the blue card. The color blue had long been a color of loyalty to the people of Chiyoda and was used in special situations to let another clan know that they were an ally. They were usually short lived because each clan lived for gaining favor from the Imperial Royals, but whenever it was presented, usually in the form of a card or a flag, it was up to the opposing clan to accept it. This usually concluded in a meeting where clan elders and top ruling nobles decided the details of the alliance.

So as Yoruichi looked around the room, some of the faces were very familiar. Father Genma, Mother Nodoka, Happosai, then Issendai and Jiro, a pair of the elder council people. From the Takahashi clan, Kagome, who looked bored waiting for the meeting to start, and Midoriko who looked more nervous than anything. With them as protocol were both set of Takahashi Princes, as well as Sango and Miroku. From the Kuno clan stood the elder, and the apparent heir of their clan, if he ever decided to renounced his title.

All in all, there were 14 people in the room, including her. She had an inkling what this meeting was about in theory, and was sure that the collective of information that had been gathered recently would be very helpful. She was just hoping her head wouldn't explode as they tried to sort through it all. She was sure it was to be a gargantuan amount of information.

Standing towards the front of the underground bunker housed on Taichousen land, Father Kuno quietly raised his blue card, officially signaling the start of the meeting and his alliance to the two presented clans.

"I thank you all for attending. I'm sure this won't be a short meeting, so I will get straight to the point. I think the best way to handle this situation is for each individual clan to introduce the information they have in regards to this, and then work our way through making sense of it. There is a special…guest…that will be introduced after we deliver our message as a fore warning."

The elder Kuno cleared his throat, and removed his sunglasses, causing a round of gasp elicited from those who were not of his clan. No one had ever seen him with his sunglasses off. He was a handsome man; age had done him justice, as he looked very charming around the eyes. Nothing to indicate how bizarre the man was.

"This meeting has been called for two reasons by the Kuno clan. The first is in an attempt to aid the Taichousen clan with a little dilemma. One they may or may not have figured out yet. As you can see the Prince of the Taichousen clan was not included because I've learned he is away. His intended was not included, nor were any of her guardians. The reasoning behind that is I am very sure, that the correlation behind your dilemma is directly involving and / or was directly caused by them. They are, essentially the very heart of your problem."

Kuno watches as all hell broke loose in the chamber. It was rare breech of protocol, but not unheard of, and he chuckled. Every one that had any tidbit of information started shouting with acquiescent rage. Their reasons, suspicions, facts and numbers, paper trails; all of it thrown in roars laced with contempt. Father Kuno smiled. He was aware of the fact a while ago, but saw no reason to interfere with another clan's business. That was until his children were thrown in the chaos.

"Everyone…please. " Quickly deducing the speak-then-go method wouldn't work long, he started by calling out names. "Jiro? Issendai?"

Issendai stood as quickly as her aging bones would let her. "Our suspicious of the Amazons arose, collectedly between the two of us, the day Ranma reappeared back in Chiyoda. One of the elders of our clan, Bishamon seemed nervous and quick to judgment during a council meeting1. It was then; we found reason to believe that Bishamon was in connection with the Amazons."

That statement led to Yoruichi standing. "That seems like a fair deduction. I, for reasons of my own, had set up a watch over the Amazon's encampment. I recently witnessed Bishamon enter and exit the compound of number of times. Recently, I witness him leave Cologne's quarters with paperwork. After following him, "she nodded to Kagome and Midoriko, "I found that these two were privy to information from inside of our labs that wouldn't have been discovered."

Kagome stood to join Yoruichi. "Apparently the device that Prince Ranma has been working on with Midoriko here…" she nudged the older woman to stand, "was something they'd known about and had manipulated in regards to results." She turned again to Midoriko who had refused to stand. Wrapping a firm hand arm her upper arm, she hauled the woman to her feet. "Tell them."

Her voice shook with every syllable but she was able to stutter the message out. "Prince Ranma had been working on a device that would aid in healing as if it harnessed the actually power of The Inochi. Something he'd discovered from his First Sword's wife Orihime. We were in the process of looking for a way to convert it from a natural mutation within the body, to a way to use it universally in healthcare."

She hiccupped in her nervousness, a trait she'd never been able to get rid of, and was mortally embarrassed to find it show up now. She hated speaking in front of people. The warm comforting hand of her cousin on her shoulder allowed her to continue.

"The source was a black tourmaline stone, but we needed a catalyst to power the stone the same way Orihime did. Orihime biologically didn't fit, which was odd. We'd tried other methods, all of them failing. Some of the test led to Arakawa incident; they tested without our permission2. The Amazons were substantial in somehow finding out about the catalyst and apparently had known for a long time. Kenji stated…"

"Kenji?" Genma sorted out. "He still employed at the lab?"

Midoriko who knew nothing of inner office human resources other than what time she was to clock in shrugged. "Yeah? Why?"

"He's just a crafty son of a bitch who I thought should have been fired years ago. I thought I had ordered that. But it's nothing of consequence, continue dear."

"Well that's it. Kenji stated "_Ranma's been walking around with the catalyst in his company the entire time?_" At that point we hightailed out of there and ran into Yoruichi, who just basically told us to sit down, shut up and act normal. And here we are." She quickly took her seat, hoping that her name would not be called. She was a lover of science, politics made her head dizzy. Grandiose speeches about shit she didn't want to know about to begin with made her want to vomit.

Nodoka took the time to speak up. "Why would Cologne or Bishamon want anything to do with our Ranma's project? They don't make a common trail of inclusion."

Happosai cleared his throat; decided standing would require him to tether on the seat of the chair provided so that everyone would be able to see him. He wasn't that adventurous today. "Cat Lady and I tracked through some records of when I was the best thing the council had ever seen." He winked winsomely at Jiro and Issendai, chuckling when Issendai rolled her eyes at him.

"Long of the short. We've got Bishamon on betrothal bartering, some very shifty creative paperwork with our clan's tax and tithing information, the stint, for a lack of a more evil word at the moment, he pulled with Tendo Soun, and…a paper trail leading him and Cologne of the Masura Amazon directly to Douchler Enterprise."

Kuno's turn. "Douchler? That makes sense. There was a scant connection with Douchler and Tendo Akane, as she was preparing for a presentation to give to the advertising department. The night she was seen with Ranma at Taichousen and her car was blown to bits. That's a little bit shaky. What isn't shaky is, and this will lead to the person waiting for us outside that door, is that Douchler is a front company for Shigeko clan, a crime syndicate. The Masura clan is a "sister" syndicate. The crime syndicate that hired a group of people to trail and kidnap Tendo Akane. Masura Amazon. Masura Crime Syndicate"

Happosai slapped at his knee. "We need to find the connection between the Masura Amazon's, Douchler and the Taichousen clan."

"Shampoo's dowry." Every one turned their head to look back at Inuyasha whose severe look of disinterest was clearly evident, down to his slouched posture and lidded eyes. He shrugged before pointing to the door. "That's what the woman said in the other room. 'Shampoo's dowry.'"

Kuno smacked his head. The Princes of Takahashi had a keen power over sense. What Inuyasha was hearing was Kodachi's reply to Happosai's question. She was eavesdropping from the other room. He quickly pulled the door open, having to move back quickly as Kodachi, the twins and Sasuke spilled into the room. Evidently Kuno was right; as they all had their ear to the door, listening intently and not moving away fast enough to appear innocent.

There were angry gasp and furious whispers being tossed around the room, so Kuno held his hand up. "Now before those who are angry with Kodachi have an epic fit, let her give her address the crowd first."

Kodachi slinked into the room sheepishly at being caught and then embarrassment tinged her ears as she tried to earnestly remember the words to the apology she'd conjured up. Facing the crowd, she gathered the hem of the plainest yukata, bowing until her knees hit the ground. She then placed her hands flat to the ground, her forehead joining quickly afterwards. She held the bow for a full minute, awkward, but she wanted to convey the deepest sense of remorse. She stood slowly, before again bowing at the hip. Holding her head low, she turned to the Mother and Father of the Taichousen clan.

"Honored Mother. Honored Father. I know that in the past I have been nothing but trouble to you. However delighted I was to revel in your son's powerful existence, I have time and time again breeched protocol to appear at his side, however unwanted. For that I apologize. Recently, I have thrown away my honor as a princess of Kuno, in desperation for his attention, and committed crimes against him, your clan and more importantly the family of Tendo Akane. I will accept whatever you see fit as my punishment. But before that happens I would like to provide whatever information I can towards helping this situation resolve to a peaceful conclusion for your clan. "

Genma stood slack jawed. He hadn't heard Kodachi sound apologetic in the twenty plus years he'd had the displeasure of knowing the woman. She'd slightly tolerated their presence only to flip the switch, and resort to years of full out flattery and conniving schemes after her apparent attraction to their son. Her apology was no atonement, but he could at least hear her out. For now. Unable to say anything, he softly waved her to continue. "Go on, child."

"Shampoo's dowry is your connection to Shigeko clan, the Masura Amazons, and Douchler. I was hired to head the operation to kidnap Tendo Akane by the Masura clan. I was never really told why outside of a story about the Fountain of Youth and the device that was invented by Ranma. The Shigeko clan own stock in it, funding spiraled through Douchler Enterprise. If you track the stock back to its source, you'll find Shikego. All I know is what I was promised in return, which I now understand could never have happened. The key connection to all three is Shampoo's dowry."

Jiro clapped both of his hands in amusement before offering up the answer. "Shampoo's dowry was the crates and crates of tourmaline crystals that were offered to Ranma on the acceptance of the betrothal contract. It was a strange offer, but whatever consultations Ranma and the Amazon elder Cologne had before the contract was signed, must have allowed it to be an acceptable dowry."

"It could be because she had already planned on manipulating Ranma into creating Yangupawa; if she knew in advance the crystals had anything to do with it." Yoruichi supplied. "Bishamon was connected to Soun's exile AND the solicitation of Shampoo's contract. My other thought was she has something to do with Bishamon fighting so hard to have him thrown out. To eventually have the Amazon presence in Chiyoda. In Chiyoda where we have a residing Inochi, powerful labs, educated scientist, and a connection to the Imperial Royals."

Father Kuno spoke up. "But for what purpose?" He was greeted with silence from the room. "What purpose would the Amazons have for doing all of this for one device? One we don't know will even work?" More silence. The occupants of the room looked from person to person, no one able to deduce a reason.

Genma waved his hand in irritation. "That is something we can figure out later. There are two targets at stake and we have to make moves to protect them." He turned back to Yoruichi, barking out orders. "Keep both of them up in the Chiyodian Mountains. Don't call for them until we have this solved."

"Keh. Problem with that." Inuyasha again. "How are ya gonna explain Ranma's absence from the Festival? The Imperial Royals require all nobles to be present, especially that of yer Prince since he's supposed to formally introduce that bitch to them, and announce the date of the wedding. Can't get 'round that." Kagome rolled her eyes heavenward at her husband. One because she remember how embarrassing it was when she was introduced to Royals. Inuyasha had a distinct lack of noble charm, and had completed the introduction with a loud smack on her lips. And two, he was right, but not very helpful.

Genma opened his mouth to refute it, but realized the young Prince was right. Shit. "How long until the festival?" Nodoka raised an eyebrow at him, discerning that the man hadn't listened to a damn thing in the meetings they had every morning. "Three days, my love."

"For the love of….three days? How are we supposed to come up with a plan in three days? No telling what they are planning with their fuddy ruddy magic, those Amazons." Turning to Jiro and Issendai, he made a noise in the back of his throat, clearly indicating his irritation. "Isn't this enough clause to cancel the contract? Remove the source of danger?"

"And present WHOM to the council and the Imperial Royals in three days? There's no way. Despite the crimes committed by Cologne, the council will not accept the embarrassment of having no noble couple to offer. I could have told you that before you asked. "

At the same time, showing that their brains at some point always clicked in unison, the clan's people of the Takahashi all stood at once. Six voices rang out. "The original contract." Miroku, who had been mostly silent during most of the meeting, cracked his knuckles in thought. "The original contract. We all are privy to its details. You can prove to the council that the reasons for Soun's exile are null and void, and then Akane's betrothal contract can be reinstated."

"Of course, you're going to have to get her approval. But from the looks of it, she's been tearing him a new one every time they are together. But I'm sure it's worth a try. It might be your only hope at not being tied down maniacs as in-laws." Kagome smiled into her answer. She and Akane had been born around the same time and she'd heard so many stories about the woman because of her connection to the Inochi. She'd wanted to befriend her, become real good friends, you know? But she never had the chance. By the time she understood what was going on, the Tendos were no longer living in Chiyoda. The prospect that she could still have a chance to befriend a woman very like herself, made her giddy. Yes, she was being selfish, she didn't know really the relationship the two had, but marriage had a way of working those types of things out.

Genma and Nodoka looked at each other. Nodoka was smiling the brightest. Ever since the young woman had come back, her resemblance to Yuuka was enough to make her weak at the knees. She missed her best friend in ways that were unimaginable. The original contract was the sole source of happiness between the four adults, so many years ago. There was too much grief and sadness around the destruction that would have linked the friends together, familiarly. Genma couldn't deny the woman anything, and he too wanted to honor his own friend's wishes. They had finally found a way to pay back the sacrifice Yuuka and Soun had made.

Genma grinned and stood, his hands fisted on his hips. "Someone call in a servant, have them open the kitchens. It's going to be a very long night."

A/N: One I wanted to keep this chapter short. I'm trying to get all the fookiness (I made that word up. It means fooky. And fooky means =boring unnecessarily complicated foolywang) out all so it could be finally understood what is going on. If you still don't, I kinda left reference notes (which is sad that I thought I had to do it. I did it for myself since I had to fork through all the chapters to reference WTH I'm going on about.)

If you have any questions, let me know! I miss you guys ^_^ (especially on any of the characters since I seem to be pulling them from some sub space pocket.)

**1. Chapter 12, Council Scene. Paragraph 18.**

**2. Chapter 8. Kuno/Nabiki car meeting. Chapter 10. Meeting with Khouhei. Paragraph...way at the botton o.o**

_(A quick let's make sense of this._

_There are three syndicates; two are in direct connection with each other. Douchler is pretty much a front subsidiary company for Shikego (way to keep them legal.) The Masura clan is pretty much composed of Amazons that have migrated to Japan, who have a tendency to hire disadvantaged youth to do all of the dirty work. Shikego and Masura teamed up under the direction of Cologne (which I'll explain later). See! No? Okay. )_

**3. Chapter 15. Anything Yoruichi, Kagome or Midoriko says about the lab. **


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